Dark Slayer Forever KnightAngel crossover
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: Nick must protect an agreement that has protected humanity for a thousand years. But protecting that agreement may cost him his life.
1. Chapter 1

FOREVER KNIGHT/ANGEL CROSSOVER

"Dark Slayer"

By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. Noazmale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)

Email:

evilgidget_

Rating: K

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Disclaimer: "Forever Knight" and all related characters and events are the property of James D. Parriott and Barney Cohen, and "Angel" and all related characters and events are the property of Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

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(Authors' note: This story takes place between season 2 episodes "The Shroud of Rahmon" and "The Trial" on "Angel" and approximately 5 years after the series finale of "Forever Knight".)

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Nick must protect an agreement that has protected humanity for a thousand years. But protecting that agreement may cost him his life.

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PROLOGUE

LaCroix stood over Nicholas holding the sharpened stake over his head. Nicholas knelt on the floor, cradling the near lifeless body of Natalie in his arms. LaCroix hesitated a moment, then brought the stake down with all his might, intent on granting his friend and protégé this one final request. Suddenly, at the last moment, LaCroix pulled the stake to one side, narrowly missing the younger vampire.

"No, Nicholas," LaCroix said, casting the stake aside. "It shall not end this way. All your existence you have turned from your troubles. Run to some far secluded place to avoid the repercussions of your actions.

"You came to me during the Crusades. Sick of the killing and hunting and bloodshed. I made you what you are. Freed you from the drudgery of a mere mortal existence. Gave you eternal life and the power over others.

"But not even that was enough. You turned from even that claiming you were no longer a killer. That you had to atone for your sins. Make up for the death and grief you had caused. Now, in your pathetic attempt to regain your mortality, you have once again turned from your responsibility."

"That's not the way it is," Nicholas cried, nearly in tears. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was only supposed to take enough to sate the hunger. But I couldn't stop myself. I've taken too much. Now she will die. Because of my weakness."

"All are weak," LaCroix said, pulling Nicholas to his feet. "Even we, the strongest of the creatures that walk the night, have our weaknesses. We must feed on the blood of others. We cannot walk the streets while the sun shines for fear of being consumed by it.

"Do you think you are the only vampire ever to have taken a life like this? To have destroyed that which was so dear to you? We are killers, Nicholas. We hunt mortals for their blood. And like it or not, you are one of us. You cannot simply throw away everything that has been given you because you are displeased with the results. We must each face our responsibilities no matter how painful they might be."

"But she doesn't deserve this," Nicholas said, looking down at the unmoving body of Natalie. "She's always only wanted to help. And I've repaid her with death. I can't even bring her across. I've taken too much blood for that. All I can do is stand by and watch her die. It is too much for me to bear."

LaCroix knelt down and put his fingers on Natalie's throat. He paused for a moment, and then stood up again. "Her pulse is weak, but steady," he said. "It is true that you have taken more than a human can afford to give. As she is, she will die very soon."

He paused for a moment.

"But all is not lost," he continued. "She can be saved. Take her to the nearest hospital. They will be able to treat her. Tell them any story you wish. But if you are to save her, you must hurry. Her time is short. If you tarry for long, she will die."

"Are you sure?" Nicholas asked hopefully. "Can she still be saved?"

"They will give her a transfusion," LaCroix said. "If she is strong, she may yet survive. Your vampire abilities will allow you to get her to help much quicker than any mortal could. But when this is done, Nicholas, you must return to the fold. I have saved your precious Natalie for you. Just one more on a long list of debts you owe me."

"Thank you," said Nicholas, gathering up Natalie. "I won't forget this. I promise."

"I shall hold you to that promise," LaCroix said, as Nicholas took flight, heading for the nearest hospital.

"Aw, Nicholas," LaCroix said after the younger vampire had left, "how can you be so naïve after eight hundred years? To think you can make up for all you've done in a few short years of saving the pathetic wretches of this society? You will save your Natalie. And I will bring you back into the fold. You must eventually see that you are what you are. A hunter. A killer. And nothing will change that."

Silently the ancient vampire turned and took flight behind Nicholas. He secretly admired Nicholas for his determination to become human again. But Jeannette had shown that even returning to mortality does not clean away all your sins. Everyone, even a vampire of two thousand years, must face the consequences of their actions. No matter how bitter or painful those consequences were.

ONE

Nick came into his apartment and dropped his keys on the table. The sun would be up shortly and he couldn't be caught outside when it did. The specially constructed windows would prevent the lethal UV rays from penetrating the glass while still allowing him to see outside when he chose to. Which wasn't often.

On this particular morning he stood looking out the window from his twentieth floor penthouse in Sacramento. As he took a drink of the cow's blood he kept in his refrigerator he thought about the events that had brought him here.

Things had fallen apart in Toronto very fast. First one then another of his friends had been killed. One by one Divia had killed them in an attempt to punish LaCroix for his betrayal of her. When they had been able to finally kill Divia for good too many of his friends had paid with their lives.

Then he had made a near fatal mistake. In an attempt to regain his mortality, he had attempted to use the same method Janette had used. Taking just enough blood from Natalie and reducing it each time until the vampire in him was finally forced out. But he had failed utterly. In only his first attempt he had taken more blood from Natalie than any human could afford to give and still live.

If not for LaCroix, Natalie would have died. But Nick had been able to get her to the hospital in time. Barely in time. They gave her a transfusion and after several long hours of her fighting for her life, she had finally pulled through. It was while she was still recuperating in the hospital that he had decided to finally leave Toronto forever.

It wasn't the first time he had moved on and left people he cared about behind. In his nearly 800 year existence he had often had to leave people behind. But it never got any easier. In fact, in some ways, each time was harder than the previous one. Knowing he would be forever moving while those he cared about remained behind, grew old, and eventually died.

In the five years since he had wandered around. For more than two years he had wandered trying to decide where to settle down next. Then he had come to Sacramento, California. He had been here before but it had been many decades. Anyone who would have known him back then would be long dead by now. And for the past three years he had lived here quietly working as a private investigator.

It was a suitable existence for the time being. It allowed him to work at night without having to make up any lies about being allergic to the sun. It also meant he could work alone. He wouldn't have to worry about anyone discovering his secret or having them put in harms way because of him. Schanke had died because of him. So had Captain Cohan. Tracy was dead because of him. And Natalie had nearly died.

He could no longer stay in Toronto. There were too many memories there. So was Natalie. He knew he couldn't stay there as long as she was there. Eventually he would decide he could control himself. And that would definitely be fatal to her. The best option was for him to leave her and Toronto forever and let her find happiness with someone else.

His work kept him busy. Tracking down missing persons, handling divorces, the occasional criminal retrieval of people who might be too dangerous for a mortal to handle; at least he was able to help people. Even if it wasn't the most exciting work in the world. But then he had had enough excitement for a while. And as a private investigator he could set his own hours. Continue to search for a way to regain his mortality without having to answer to anyone.

Nick turned and started to head to the kitchen to refill his cup. He had taken only a couple of steps when he stopped short. Sitting in one of the chairs in his living room was a figure. Half draped in darkness Nick wasn't sure who would be foolish enough to break into his penthouse.

"You've led me on quite the merry chase, Nicholas," said LaCroix. "After all I did for you – after saving the life of your precious Natalie – and you still disappear without even a word. I suppose I should come to expect it after all this time."

"LaCroix. How did you find me?"

"I'm an Elder, Nicholas. You should know by now there is no place you can hide where I cannot find you. I can follow you no matter where you go."

"But not right away. It takes you time to find me. Time that I don't have to worry about your incessant harassment to be what I detest."

"To be what you are, Nicholas. You cannot deny it. You are a killer. I've seen you kill countless mortals. Most without giving it a second thought. And you enjoyed it. What makes you think you can ever go back to what you were before?"

"Janette did," protested Nick.

"And now she's dead. Is that the fate you want for yourself? To be weak and inconsequential? To gradually grow old and feeble and then die without even the slightest indication that you were ever here? Is that the existence you truly want for yourself?"

"At least I wouldn't have to worry about killing innocent people. People who did nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It is our nature. A nature you whole heartedly embraced nearly 800 years ago. A nature you reveled in for many centuries until your misguided attempt to become mortal again. An attempt that must ultimately fail."

"I'm not the first to want to regain my mortality. Janette also did. And she did become mortal again. Something which did not lead to her death, as I recall. It was her misguided need for vengeance that ultimately led to her death."

"Perhaps," said LaCroix. "Or perhaps it's just your jaded view of reality that leads you to believe that. But despite your rather tainted view of the world there is still the matter of your debt to me. A debt you yourself readily admitted you owed when I saved your precious Natalie."

"I won't dispute that," said Nick. "If not for you she would have died and I will be eternally grateful for your assistance. But you can't expect me to return to what I was because of that. I'm not what I was. I can never go back to that life."

"But you still owe me, Nicholas. You promised me that you would not forget the debt you owe to me. And as I told you, I am holding you to that promise. You above all people should know that I always collect on my debts."

"I'll give you that. You do have a long memory for the debts people owe you. And you always collect on those debts eventually. So how would you suggest we resolve my debt to you? I won't go back to the life I once had. I won't kill innocent people for the luxury of surviving another day. So what would you consider ample payment for the life you restored at my request?"

"Only your unconditional return to the fold, Nicholas. That is the only payment which will repay the debt in full. But I know that is not about to happen. At least not yet. You still need time to come to terms with who and what you are. But there is a matter you could assist me with. Call it a down payment on your outstanding debt."

"I won't kill a mortal for you. I don't care what they may have done. If you want a mortal dealt with I'll help but only within the confines of the law."

"Not a mortal. A Dhampir. A half human, half vampire hybrid who could conceivably end the peace that has existed for more than a thousand years. And cause a war that could decimate the humans you hold so dear."


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"You must be joking," said Nick. "Most Dhampirs are no threat for a full vampire."

"This one is different," said LaCroix. "It is the offspring of an Elder. Her power is significant. If she is able to complete her plans she'll violate a treaty that has protected our kind for centuries."

"It doesn't make any difference. She's half human. I told you. I won't kill a human for you."

"You're exact words were that you would not kill a mortal. They are hardly mortal. The blood of a vampire elder flows through her veins. You know the power an elder possesses, Nicholas. You have seen the power I wield. Most elders have comparable powers. She will have that power at her disposal."

"She's still half human," protested Nick. "I won't have innocent blood on my hands any longer."

"Not even to protect the Mustadi Covenant?" questioned LaCroix, cocking an eyebrow.

"I don't understand. What does the Mustadi Covenant have to do with a Dhampir?"

"You know what the Mustadi Covenant is, of course. I told you about it when I first brought you across."

"I remember. That's not something that I'm likely to forget. And I seriously doubt that even a Dhampir is insane enough to violate the covenant. As you said, the covenant has protected us for more than a millennium. Violating it would be tantamount to genocide."

"Precisely what this particular Dhampir has in mind. You see, unlike most of her kind she detests what she is. Much like you. Only she knows there is nothing she can do about it. Unlike you she realizes what she is. And that nothing can change it."

"What does this have to do with her violating the covenant?" demanded Nick.

"She despises what she is. So much so that she blames the one who created her. And she wishes to hurt him as badly as she can. She believes that simply killing him would be too good for him. She wishes to make him suffer as she has suffered. In her mind the best way to do that is to destroy what he holds most dear."

"Those he has turned. And the ones they have turned and so on. She wants to destroy all the vampires he's responsible for either directly or indirectly."

"Yes. But she knows there is no way for her to do that. As you said, most Dhampirs are no match for a full vampire. Even with her power she would eventually encounter a vampire she could not beat. And she could never be sure if she had gotten all of his descendents, as it were."

"So how does she plan to violate the Mustadi Covenant?"

"She's heading to Los Angeles."

"That's not a smart move on her part. When they find out she's there they'll take her to the elder there. More than likely he'll just kill her. Your problem will be solved."

"That's what's she's counting on. When they take her before the elder in Los Angeles she plans to kill him. And even though she is only a Dhampir she may be capable of doing just that. Especially since she doesn't have to worry about escape. She's fully prepared to die to fulfill her plan."

"Is she insane? Doesn't she know what will happen if she kills the elder? They'll think we've violated the covenant."

"That is precisely her plan, Nicholas. If either side violates the covenant it invalidates the entire agreement. The old wars which nearly destroyed us more than a millennia ago will begin anew. And this time I'm afraid there is no one who will be able to stop it."

"You could stop her. You're an elder. Not even the Dhampir of an elder should be able to stand up against you. All you have to do is go there and stop her."

"And precipitate the very war I'm trying to prevent? That's not an option. As an elder if I set foot in their territory it would be considered an immediate violation of the covenant. But you are not an elder. If you were to stop her it would not be considered an automatic violation of the covenant. You could stop the war."

"And why should I?" questioned Nick. "Why should I care if the vampires go to war with themselves? It wouldn't be my war. I wouldn't be involved with it."

"And just how many of your precious mortals do you think would be caught in the middle of that war, Nicholas? The ones that weren't killed because of the war would become the sustenance to replenish the strength the vampires use in that war. The losses would be considerable, trust me."

Nick hadn't thought about that. There was always collateral damage in any war. He had lived long enough to learn that. And in a vampire war the collateral damage would be humans.

"So you want me to go to Los Angeles and stop her, is that it?"

"In a nutshell, as they say," said LaCroix.

"And if they catch me? Won't that just start the war you hope to prevent? If her presence there would start it mine would as well.'

"No, it wouldn't. It is her murder of him that will start the war. If you should be caught, they will take you to their elder. You simply have to tell him why I have sent you there. To prevent the war. He will, of course, immediately contact me to check your story. I'm confident he and I can come to an understanding. It wouldn't be the first time one of us stumbled onto the territory of the other. We've always been able to work out our differences before. This time should be no different."

"And what if you're wrong? What if the elder in Lost Angeles doesn't bother to check with you first?"

"Nicholas, Nicholas. It's not like you to be so resistant to protecting your precious humans. I thought you would jump at the chance to save them. How many can you normally save at the same time? One? Two perhaps? Here's your chance to save thousands of them. Perhaps millions. All at the same time. At least in your mind that should go a long way to repaying society for the sins you have committed against it."

"How do I know this isn't some ploy by you to try and bring me back?"

"You don't. With the sole exception that I'm telling you it's not. I may be many things, Nicholas. Most of which I will readily admit to. I'm a vampire elder and I have no need to disillusion myself with such trivial deceptions. But I've never lied to you, Nicholas. Even you have to admit that."

Nicholas just looked at LaCroix. LaCroix was many things. Among them a cold blooded murderer who thought nothing of killing any human who got in his way or who fit into his plans. He was manipulative and overbearing. And he was controlling. He had to have everything his way and he simply refused to take no for an answer. The decades he had been following Nick, trying to bring him back into the fold, proved that.

But LaCroix was right. In all the centuries he had known LaCroix he had never known the vampire elder to lie. To him or anyone else. As LaCroix had said, he simply had no need to. Except for the occasional lie of omission, LaCroix was always open and honest with everyone he met.

"I'll leave as soon as the sun sets," said Nick. "It's about five hours to Los Angeles. That should give me a few hours to look around before the sun comes up."

"Nicholas, you think in such human terms. Taking five hours to drive to Los Angeles? With your vampiric abilities you can be there in a fraction of the time."

"Look, you've asked me to go to Los Angeles and stop this Dhampir from violating the Mustadi Covenant. And I agree with you. She has to be stopped. But I'm going to do this my way. That's the way things are."

"Of course. You must continue with your delusion that you're one of them. In the hopes of one day finally restoring your humanity. Very well. Drive to Los Angeles if you must. But don't waste any time. We can't afford the Dhampir to reach the vampire elder. If she is successful in killing the elder we will all loose everything."

"Don't worry. I should be able to find her before she gets that far. But I'll need to know everything you can tell me about this Dhampir."

"Have a seat, Nicholas. This may take a while."


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

Nick walked into a club in Los Angeles. In the two days he had been here he had been unable to find out anything about the Dhampir that LaCroix said was out to kill the vampire elder. Eventually a demon he had come across told him about this place. Caritas. Apparently it was a safe haven for demons in Los Angeles. A place where violence was not allowed.

He looked around the club. It was small for a club. At one end was a stage with a microphone on it. Standing at the microphone was a rather ugly demon belting out a very bad rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Sitting at various tables around the room were a variety of demons, many of which Nick had never seen before. Nick stepped up to the bar and a human looking demon bartender moved over to him.

"What can I get you?"

"I'm just looking for some information," said Nick. "I'm looking for someone."

"Two drink minimum," responded the bartender.

Nick pulled out a twenty dollar bill and laid it on the counter. The bartender picked up the bill and stood looking at him.

"I'm looking for a Dhampir," said Nick. "A brunette, about twenty or so. Goes by the name of Daphne. She would have arrived in town a couple of days ago maybe looking for someone."

"And just why would you be looking for a Dhampir?" questioned a demon walking over to him.

The demon was green with two red horns sticking out from his forehead and red eyes. He was dressed in one of the most outlandish suits Nick had ever seen. As he stepped up to the bar the bartender automatically placed a drink on the table which the demon picked up without asking.

"Name's Lorne," said the demon. "This is my place. I don't think I've ever seen you around here before."

"I just got into town a couple of days ago," said Nick.

"I didn't catch your name, stranger."

"I didn't throw it. I'm just looking for a Dhampir and figured this was the best place to find her. Why I want her is my business."

"Dhampirs are rare from what I understand. And so would your kind. It was my understanding that your type weren't allowed in Los Angeles. Something about an ancient covenant or something."

"And just how would you know that?"

"I have a varied clientele. And in a place like this you pick up some things. Now why would your type of vampire be in Los Angeles looking for a Dhampir?"

"How'd you know I was a vampire?" Nick asked.

"I'm an empath demon, sweetie. And as I said. I know lots of things."

"Let's just say I was hired to find her and leave it at that. And my client is very interested in my finding her as soon as possible."

"Your client? So you're a private investigator."

"Something like that. And as I said, I was hired to find this Dhampir. Considering the type of place you run I figured this might be a good place to find out. Word has it that you don't tolerate violence in here."

"Oh, much more than that, booby. It has a special enchantment on it that actually prevents violence. That way you can come in here, relax, have a drink, and enjoy yourself. Perhaps you'd like to try your hand."

Lorne was pointing at the microphone on the stage. The demon that had been singing had finished and was moving toward the bar where Nick and Lorne were sitting.

"I'm not much of a singer," said Nick, glancing at the demon.

"Well?" insisted the demon as he stood next to Lorne. He appeared nervous.

"Have you ever heard of Angel Investigations, sweetie?" Lorne questioned of the demon.

"Yeah. I had a run in with him a while back. I only got away 'cause the sun came up and I was able to get away."

"Well, if I was you I'd do the Marco Polo thing and go on a nice long trip. You hang around here and I'm seeing a new trophy over Angel's mantel. They really don't like child killers especially demonic ones. If it were me I'd be on the first transport out of the city and I'd be gone for a nice long time. Far, far away."

"Thanks, Lorne," replied the demon. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," said Lorne.

"You a prophet?" Nick asked as the demon hurried from the club.

"Empath demon, as I told you. And when people sing I can gain a lot of information about the singer. I might even be able to locate your missing Dhampir for you. All you have to do is step up to the mic and do the whole Frank Sinatra bit."

"I think I'll pass," said Nick. As helpful as this Lorne could be, assuming he was telling the truth, there were just too many things about his life he'd just as soon no one else knew about. "Is there anything you can tell me about the Dhampir?"

"Afraid not, babe. Haven't heard so much as a rumor about a Dhampir around Los Angeles. By definition they don't usually hang out around here, for obvious reasons."

"What about this Angel Investigations you mentioned to the other demon? What can you tell me about them?"

"Oh, I don't think you want to get messed up with Angel. He's a vampire. But the other kind. And you know as well as I do that the two kinds don't really mix. Although I don't imagine you'd have a whole lot of trouble with him. He's not your typical vampire, especially here in L.A."

"Why's that?"

"Angel has a soul. Some nasty business about being cursed by gypsies or something about a hundred years ago. Now he's one of the good guys. But he's still one of the other kind of vamp."

"Any idea where this Angel hangs out?"

"I understand he's moved into the old Hyperion Hotel. Something about a connection he had there some decades ago. And more recently a bout with a demon that feeds off people's emotions. A very sordid affair if you ask me. You aren't thinking of going over there?"

"I might."

"Well, just take care, my friend. The streets of Los Angels can be very dangerous at night. Especially for someone who's in enemy territory as it were."

"Thanks. I appreciate the warning."

"You never did tell me your name, stranger."

"No, I didn't. Thanks again for the help."

Nick walked away from the bar and out the door. He had learned long ago that the owner of a bar usually had the most information to deal out. And this Lorne had been a wealth of information.

This Angel might be useful. A vampire with a soul wouldn't be on the best terms with others of his kind. Maybe he'd be willing to help Nick find Daphne. At the very least he might have information that Nick could use. Nick headed for his car to find the Hyperion Hotel.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

Nick walked up to the Hyperion Hotel. He had deliberately parked two blocks away. It was a habit he had gotten into since becoming a private investigator. If there was a problem with a case it would prevent anyone from being able to identify him by his car. Of course there weren't many problems he wasn't equipped to handle. One of the perks of being a vampire.

The building was decades old. For its age it wasn't in bad shape. It had the character that most modern buildings didn't have. In his next life maybe he'd buy one of these old buildings to live in. But hopefully he wouldn't have to worry about his "next life" for quite some time.

He stood across the street from the building surveying it. In its day it must have been a very high class place. With a little work it could be again. He started to cross the street and then stopped short. A young brunette was heading for the front door. Only she wasn't alone. Sneaking up to her in the shadows of the street lamps was a man doing his best not to be seen.

Nick looked around. It didn't take a seasoned homicide detective to know that this man was up to no good. It wasn't the best neighborhood in town. He had probably seen her heading for the hotel and decided she would be an easy mark. There was no way to reach the woman before the man did without the man seeing.

No way for a mortal, anyway. Nick took flight and headed over the street toward the hotel. The man would be so sure he was alone on the street. He wouldn't think to look up. Silently Nick landed on the ground only a few feet behind the man. He had just reached the woman and was reaching for her arm.

"I think you should leave the lady alone," said Nick.

The man spun around in surprise and Nick saw the butt of a revolver sticking out of his belt. The woman, hearing Nick's voice, turned, surprised to see the two men only a few feet from her. For a moment she wasn't sure what to do.

"Who are you?" demanded the man reaching for the pistol in his belt.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," said Nick. "You'd never clear your belt."

The man stood looking at Nick judging his advantage. It was obvious he was seriously considering going for the gun. If he did that Nick would have no choice but to stop him. The gun wasn't a concern for him. But the woman might inadvertently get hurt. He concentrated looking directly into the man's eyes.

"You want to go home," said Nick.

"I want to go home," repeated the man.

"And you want to get rid of that gun before you do," said Nick.

"And I want to get rid of the gun before I do," repeated the man.

"Go on. Get out of here. While you still can."

Without another word the man turned and began to walk up the street away from hotel completely ignoring the woman. She looked at the man and then looked at Nick.

"Thanks," she said. "I didn't even know he was there."

"No problem," said Nick. "I noticed him sneaking up on you and figured I'd change his mind for him. The name's Nick Knight. Knight with a K."

"Cordelia Chase. Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or something? It seems the least I can do for the man who saved my life."

"Well, I doubt I did all that. More than likely he would have just robbed you and then run away. But I was on my way inside anyway. I'm here to see someone named Angel."

"That would be my boss. I'm sort of his secretary."

"Well, it's a good thing I ran into you then. Lead on, Miss Chase."

Nick followed Cordelia into the building. The entry into the hotel was just as Nick imagined it would be. A bit run down but still very impressive. Standing near what had once been the check in counter were two men. One was a younger black man, bald and dressed in jeans and a shirt. The other was a slightly older white man wearing glasses and holding a book. The two were apparently having a disagreement over something.

"I'm telling you I know what I'm talking about," said the black man. "A Kresh demon is a loner. They don't like to congregate with other demons. I fought one once. It wouldn't have anything to do with any other demon."

"The book clearly states that Kresh demons are communal creatures," replied the white man with a distinct British accent. "It says right here that the Kresh are monogamous and live together in close knit communities, all of the adults teaching all of the young. These archives have been thoroughly researched."

"And I'm telling you it ain't that way," protested the black man. "The one I fought was all alone and the last thing . . . ."

"Uh, boys," said Cordelia, walking behind the counter, "cool it. We have a client."

"Oh, of course," said the white man, closing the book and laying it on the table.

"This is Gunn and Wesley," Cordelia said. "This is Nick Knight and he just saved my life."

"Well, then, we're grateful to you," said the black man. "Charles Gunn."

"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce," said the white man. "If you saved Cordelia then I would say we owe you. What can we do for you, Mr. Knight?"

"Well," said Nick, "I wouldn't say I saved her life. I simply prevented some street thug from relieving her of her wallet, that's all. I'm sure she wouldn't have been in any immediate danger. And actually I came to see Angel."

"He should be in his office," said Cordelia. "I'll let him know you're here."

"You know," said Nick, as Cordelia headed for Angel's office, "you're both right."

"In reference to what?" questioned Wesley.

"Kresh demons," replied Nick. "For the most part they are communal creatures. But occasionally there are rouges that go out on their own. It's not common but it does happen occasionally."

"See, I told you," Gunn told Wesley.

"I'll update my information," said Wesley. "So, you know about Kresh demons do you?"

"Some," said Nick. "I ran into one a few years back."

"And you're still alive?" questioned Wesley. "That's most remarkable. Kresh demons aren't known for leaving the humans they encounter alive."

"Yes, well, let's just say I wasn't exactly his type, so to speak," said Nick, smiling slightly.

"Angel, this is Nick Knight," said Cordelia, walking up to the three with Angel behind her. "Mr. Knight, Angel."

"Cordelia tells me you saved her life," said Angel, extending his hand for Nick to shake. "I guess I should thank you for that. She's a very important . . . ."

He stopped in mid-sentence as he stared at Nick for a moment. Then suddenly, instead of shaking Nick's hand, he hit Nick with a right-cross.

"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Angel. "Are you trying to get everyone killed?"

Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley just stared at Angel in shock.


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

"Angel, what are you doing?" Cordelia asked helping Nick up off the floor. "He saved my life. That's no way to thank him."

"I wasn't thanking him," said Angel. "And the longer he stays here the more danger we're in. If the others catch him here the results could be disastrous."

"Angel, what on earth are you talking about?" Wesley asked.

"Yeah, Angel," said Gunn. "You act like this guy is public enemy number one."

"He is," said Angel. "At least with the vampires in Los Angeles. If they find him here . . . ."

"They'll simply take me to their elder who will decide what to do about it," finished Nick. "And I know the danger I present being here. But trust me, it's important."

"Okay, does someone want to explain what's going on here?" questioned Cordelia. "Do you two know each other?"

"To the best of my knowledge, we've never met," said Nick. "But I can see the old legends are true. We do recognize each other on sight. I always wondered if that were true or if it was just a myth from so long ago."

"What do you mean you recognize each other on sight?" questioned Wesley.

"He's Stryx, Wesley," said Angel.

"What?" questioned Wesley. "Are you sure?"

"Stryx?" questioned Gunn. "What kind of demon is that?"

"It's not a demon," said Nick. "It's a form of vampire. Just as Vetala is a type of vampire. A Vetala like Angel."

"There are two types of vampires?" questioned Gunn.

"Three, actually," said Nick. "Well, I suppose the third type isn't a vampire, strictly speaking. They're the offspring of a vampire and a human. They're called Dhampir. And I'm here because of a Dhampir."

"What are you talking about?" asked Angel. "What would a Dhampir be doing here?"

"Trying to break the covenant," said Nick. "And I've been sent here to stop her. I've been here a couple of days and haven't found even a single rumor about her. Earlier this evening I stopped by a place called Caritas. Apparently owned by a rather peculiar empath demon."

"Lorne," said Angel. "We've had dealings with him before."

"Yeah, he mentioned that," said Nick. "He also told me about you. I figured since you were a Vetala with a soul, you might be able to help me find her."

"Let's slow down just a second," said Gunn. "Would someone like to explain to me about the two different types of vampires?"

"Three, as I said," said Nick. "Basically there are three distinct types of vampires. The Vetala, like Angel. The Stryx, like me. And the Dhampir, the offspring of a vampire and a human. Essentially it's half human and half vampire."

"Three types of vampires?" questioned Cordelia, looking at Angel and Wesley. "And just why wasn't this ever mentioned before?"

"The subject never came up before," said Wesley. "I honestly thought you'd never encounter a Stryx so there was no need to burden you with extraneous information."

"Extraneous information?" questioned Gunn. "Since when is knowledge about demons extraneous information?"

"No, Wes is right," said Angel. "Vetala and Stryx vampires never mingle. And they have very well defined territories. One is not allowed to enter the other's territory. It's an agreement that's kept the peace for almost twelve hundred years."

"What peace?" questioned Gunn. "Someone want to tell the rest of us what's going on here?"

"The sun is going to be up soon," said Nick. "Which means neither Angel nor I will be able to go out until it sets. So I suppose we have some time for explanations."

"Speak for yourself," said Angel. "There's an extensive sewer system in Los Angeles. I can usually get around just fine during the day. But I guess a few explanations would be in order."

They all moved into Angel's office. His office was shielded from the outside windows so the two vampires would not have to be concerned with the sun's rays. When they all go comfortable Nick began to speak.

"It's not well known that there are more than one type of vampire," said Nick to Wesley. "Except to the vampires themselves. How is it you know about them?"

"I'm a Watcher," said Wesley. "Or at least I used to be. It was my job to train the Slayer for her battles against the vampires. Most of my training was with the Vetala vampire since those were the kind that the Slayer would be encountering. I received some rudimentary training in the Stryx but not nearly enough apparently."

"I've heard of the Slayer," said Nick. "I've never actually met one. I understand that they are usually assigned to the areas with Vetala."

"Normally, yes," said Wesley. "They are normally more extensive than the Stryx so the Slayer is assigned where she is most needed."

"How are there two types of vampires," asked Cordelia, "and how come none of the rest of us has ever heard of them before?"

"No one knows where the first vampires came from," said Nick. "The legend is that originally there were two vampires. Fraternal twin brothers. Both were nearly identical in many ways but they also had some significant differences. Physically they appeared the same but their, abilities, shall we say, seemed to differ."

"One brother was named Vetala," continued Angel. "It was claimed that their mother had mated with a demon producing the two boys. But the genetic differences in the twins caused the DNA from the demon to react differently."

"One day, Vetala was injured in some sort of accident and was thought killed," said Nick. "But three days later he seemed to revive. It was soon discovered that some of the essence of his demonic father had altered his genetic structure creating the type of vampire that Angel is. That's why his type is called a Vetala vampire. When a Vetala bites its victim, and the victim sucks their blood, this essence is transferred to the victim, altering the victim into a new Vetala vampire. The alteration is so similar to the victim dying the differences are negligible."

"What about the other kind?" Gunn asked. "What did you call it? A Stryx vampire?"

"That's the kind I am," said Nick. "The other brother was named Stryx. He didn't exhibit any unusual characteristics from his father. But his son did. There appears to be an organism in the blood of a Stryx that alters their DNA. Creating the second kind of vampire. When a Stryx bites a victim this organism is transferred to the victim. If about half the blood is drained and the victim doesn't die, they turn into a Stryx. And the change produces similar changes that occur in a Vetala with some difference."

"Like what kind of differences?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't cast a reflection for one thing," said Angel. "That's because my body doesn't reflect all the light from it like a normal body does. It reflects enough for the human eye to pick it up but not enough to be reflected in a reflective surface. That's why I don't cast a reflection. A Stryx reflects more light so they do cast a reflection."

"And I can fly," said Nick. "Well, sort of. Actually, we can defy gravity for short periods of time. That little aspect has never been explained but a Stryx can actually defy gravity, at least for a while. In addition, any damage to my skin – even a tattoo – is removed within only a few short hours. I could loose a limb and it would grow back relatively quickly"

"What about pain?" asked Wesley. "I understand that the Vetala feel pain but are capable of ignoring it. Is it the same with a Stryx?"

"To a large degree," said Nick. "We don't feel it nearly as acutely as a Vetala does but we still feel it. And like a Vetala we are able to all but ignore it."

"And these half vampire offspring?" Cordelia asked. "These Dhampirs?"

"Only a Stryx is able to produce offspring," said Nick, "and then it's very rare. But it is possible. Most Dhampir are not nearly as strong as a full vampire but they do possess many of the abilities of their vampire parent making them more than a match for most humans. Most Dhampirs have the strengths of the vampire parent without most of the weaknesses. But they age like humans so they aren't immortal like their vampire parent."

"You said the Dhampir you were after had come here to break the covenant," said Angel. "How does she plan to do that? Like you said if one of you were ever caught here in Los Angeles they'd take you to the elder. And I'm sure the two elders would be able to work out an agreeable arrangement. They have in the past when it's happened."

"Except they won't get the chance this time," said Nick. "When they take her to the elder she plans to kill the Vetala elder. If a Stryx kills a Vetala elder it will violate the covenant and put an end to the peace. And that will mean open warfare between vampires with humans caught in the middle."


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

"Are you talking about the Mustadi Covenant?" questioned Wesley. "I thought that was only a myth."

"Oh, it's real all right," said Nick. "Every vampire knows about it and none would voluntarily violate it. It's been that way for twelve hundred years."

"What is this Mustadi Covenant?" Cordelia asked.

"You've heard of the crusades?" questioned Nick. "Between twelve hundred and eight hundred years ago a series of religious crusades were empowered by the Pope to take back the Holy Land."

"Well, I remember learning about it in school," said Cordelia. "I have to admit I don't remember that much about them, though."

"Well, for the most part, what you learned is true," said Nick. "With the exception of the first one. It was held from 1095 to 1099. Only saving the Holy Land had nothing to do with it. It was about a war between vampires that the Catholic Church became embroiled in."

"Vampire war?" questioned Gunn.

"Yes," said Angel. "Back then the two types of vampires fought openly against each other. There has always been a rivalry between the two and they were doing their best to wipe each other out. Only humans were caught in the middle. After each battle the vampires from both sides would feed on humans to restore the energy they had lost."

"Eventually the Pope became fed up with the war," continued Nick. "He sent his holy army in to wipe out both sides and put an end to the fighting. But there were too many vampires. Much more than the Pope had counted on. Pretty soon there were three factions: the Vetala, the Stryx, and the Crusaders. With the humans caught in the middle. Hundreds of thousands were being killed. And for a while it looked like no one could put an end to it."

"Eventually both types vampires turned on the Church," said Angel. "They started targeting the priests and nuns in an effort to wipe out the Church. But they still continued to fight each other as well."

"So what happened?" Gunn asked.

"May I?" asked Wesley. Nick just nodded at him. "Well, according to the legends, Ahmad Al Hassan Al Mustadi became involved. He was the 34th Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad from 1180 to 1225. He was the head of the Islamic nation and was tired of Muslims being caught in the middle of what he considered an external matter. He called for a truce in the hopes of finding a way to end the conflict."

"I assume it worked," said Cordelia. "They've mentioned something about a Mustadi Covenant."

"Yes," said Wesley. "The Masters of the Vetala and the Stryx as well as the senior Cardinal of the Catholic Church met with Mustadi. It took them several days but eventually they all came to an agreement. The Vetala and the Stryx would each have very clearly defined territories and each would stay out of the others territory. In addition, both the Vetala and the Stryx agreed to never again go after the religious leaders of the Catholic Church. The masters ensure that their respective types of vampires adhere to the covenant. And the elders enforce it strictly."

"Wait a minute," said Cordelia. "Didn't we kill one of those masters? Just after Buffy came to Sunnydale. He was trapped in some defunct church or something."

"A master is a vampire that's over 3,000 years old," explained Angel. "There aren't many of them. The one Buffy killed was only one of several that still exist. But there's one master that rules the Vetala and one that rules the Stryx. The others are considered masters because of their age."

"So what is this elder you mentioned?" questioned Gunn.

"An elder is a vampire between 1,500 and 3,000 years old," explained Nick. "Traditionally there's only one elder that controls a specific territory. Such as Los Angeles or Sacramento. But there are others that usually move around. The vampire that turned me is one such elder."

"So, just how old are you?" Cordelia asked.

"Not quite 800," replied Nick. "I would be considered a patriarch if I followed the rules."

"Rules?" questioned Gunn. "Vampires have rules?"

"Actually, yes," said Wesley. "Although rules may not be a very precise term. They're more of guidelines, really. As I understand it most vampires follow the rules and those who don't are rarely punished. But it's in the vampire's best interest to follow the rules."

"At least the ones that suit them," said Angel. "Some vampires make a regular habit of flaunting the rules. There really aren't that many and as Wesley said, most follow the rules for their own self-preservation."

"Most Stryx follow the rules," said Nick. "We have enforcers who make sure there are no flagrant violations. Most of the rules are in place to keep the mortals from finding out who we and what we are. If our existence should become common knowledge it could be disastrous. And that's what would happen if the vampire wars started up again."

"What about this Dhampir?" Angel asked. "Why would she want to kill an elder and start the war all over again?"

"She blames her sire for what she is," said Nick. "And she hates what she is. She wants to punish him and make him suffer as much as she believes she has. So she thinks the best way to do that is to kill a Vetala elder thereby violating the covenant. She knows if she does that there will be open warfare between the two vampires and in all likelihood they'll end up wiping each other out."

"I'm not seeing a problem with this," said Cordelia. "It just means fewer demons to have to deal with."

"And fewer humans," said Angel. "When vampires are injured they need blood to recuperate. And the more severely injured the more blood they need. Imagine hundreds of vampires all severely hurt from fighting each other needing blood to recoup their strength. The results could be disastrous."

"Exactly why I've come to you," said Nick. "Her simply being here puts the covenant in danger. If she is successful in killing the Elder it will wipe it out all together. We have to stop her before she does that."

"But Dhampirs are characteristically weaker than most full vampires," said Wesley. "What makes you think she would even be capable of killing an Elder?"

"Because her father was an Elder," said Nick. "That makes her more powerful than your average Dhampir. She doesn't care if she dies in the process so she won't be worried about protecting herself from other vampires. Once she's taken to the Elder all she has to do is concentrate on killing him."

"Elders aren't easy to kill," said Angel.

"Another Elder can kill one," said Nick. "And as the offspring of an Elder it's quite possible she could do it. That's why we have to stop her."

"I seem to recall something similar to this in one of my books," said Wesley. "It was something I read when I was in training to be a Watcher. Perhaps there's something in there that could help us find her."

"You check your books," said Angel. "Gunn, I need you to check with your sources. See if there's any news of a new vampire in town. Anything that fits this Dhampir Nick told us about."

"On my way," said Gunn.

"Cordy," said Angel, "I need you to stay here and coordinate things. If any of you come up with anything call Cordy. We'll check in every hour so she can pass on information that we've collected."

"What are you going to be doing?" Cordelia asked.

"We need to find this Dhampir before she can get to the Elder," said Angel. "While I have no love for a vampire Elder I don't want to see a war started that will cause thousands of innocents to be killed. Once the sun goes down we'll go see if we can find her. With any luck we should be able to stop the Dhampir before she can do any damage."


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

Nick and Angel had spent most of the day talking and getting acquainted. They weren't able to search for the Dhampir because there was too much danger of exposing themselves to sunlight. They decided it would be best if they waited until after sunset to keep from exposing themselves too much to the sun.

Gun had left the hotel to check with his contacts. So far he hadn't learned anything about a new vampire – or half vampire – that fit the criteria of the Dhampir Nick was searching for. But he said he would keep searching. He still had several options open to him but it would take most of the day to check them all.

Wesley had spent most of the day in his room. He was busily searching through the books he kept in there for the reference he had mentioned earlier. None of them had seen him since he had started his research. As a former Watcher searching old books and tomes was nearly second nature to him. And Nick was certain he enjoyed it as well.

Cordelia had busied herself with one thing or another. Nick never really did find out what it was she did besides answer the phone. Angel didn't seem to know. He just said that she "kept herself busy". But she had left them alone for most of the day, only occasionally stepping in to ask if they needed anything.

Suddenly Wesley came rushing into the room. He was holding a large book that was open and he seemed to be very excited. Nick and Angel just looked up at him as he rushed into the office unannounced.

"I think we have a problem," Wesley announced. "I found what I was looking for and it doesn't sound good."

"What is it, Wes?" Angel asked, more than a little annoyed at Wesley's penchant for dramatizing some things.

"Well, at first I couldn't find anything," said Wesley. "Then I remembered something about an ancient prophecy. I finally found it in this book. It's a book about ancient prophecies regarding vampires. The Watchers have been able to garner a great deal of information from this book."

"Wes," said Angel.

"Yes, of course," said Wesley. "Anyway, there's a prophecy about a vampire elder who's murdered by a female. A female with extraordinary abilities. According to the prophecy this female will 'seek out a powerful Elder and vanquish it back to the pits of perdition. She will seek to corrupt the pledge that binds the evil and release the honor that the corruption bound'."

"Well that certainly sounds like the Dhampir," said Nick. "A bit cryptic perhaps."

"Don't you just love those old prophecies?" questioned Angel, smiling slightly. "They can never just come right out and say what they mean. They have to cloak it in flowery speech and riddles."

"Well, oftimes prophecies are not always clear to the prophet," said Wesley. "A prophet several hundred years ago having a vision of the modern era may not be able to properly interpret many of the things we take for granted. Airplanes, automobiles, all sorts of modern conveniences that weren't even considered back then."

"Yes, Wesley, we know," said Angel. "Now what about the prophecy? You said there was a problem?"

"More like a complication really," said Wesley. "The Watcher's Council has always had trouble deciphering its meaning. It was always believed that it was about the Slayer but the phrase 'seek to corrupt the pledge that binds the evil and release the honor that the corruption bound' has always been something of a mystery. No one has been able to adequately explain exactly what it means."

"And you think you know?" questioned Nick.

"Yes, I believe I have," said Wesley. "There's another passage. One that reads 'when the issue is complete she shall seek out the sovereign of the other to avenge the wrong that was done unto her'. I think we can all agree that describes what Nick has told us today."

"I'd say that was pretty accurate," said Nick.

"Okay, we're in agreement," said Angel. "It sounds like the prophecy is about the Dhampir. So what's the problem?"

"The prophecy is in reference to the Dark Slayer," said Wesley. "And by all the prophecies I can find about her, she's unstoppable. All the prophecies agree that she will kill the elder when she gets to him."

"I assume this Dhampir doesn't suffer from the sun," said Angel. "Most Dhampirs don't suffer from that weakness."

"That's what I'm told," said Nick. "Which means she can walk around during the day while we're stuck inside."

"Which also means we're at a disadvantage if she finds the elder before we find her," said Nick.

"I wouldn't worry too much about that," said Angel. "From what I know about elders he'll have plenty of vampires around for protection. I doubt even the offspring of an elder could get to him very easily."

"Not according to all the texts I've read," said Wesley. "The Dark Slayer is no ordinary Dhampir. She'll have abilities that not even a full vampire has. That will make her much more formidable than any vampire."

"In that case I think we should hedge our bets," said Angel. "The elder probably doesn't know this Dhampir is after him. And when he finds out it's not a full vampire he won't take it as a serious threat. If she's that dangerous he needs to know about her so he can be prepared for her."

"You're going to warn a vampire?" questioned Wesley.

"Only because if the Dhampir is successful it would be worse than things are right now," said Angel. "The problem is finding the Elder. They almost never venture out into public and most vampires who know their location won't talk. Nick and I will see if we can find someone who knows where he is."

"Hopefully, that won't take too long," said Nick. "The Elder who sent me here gave me this," he removed a ring from his pocket, "to show that I was sent by him."

"We'll go out as soon as the sun sets," said Angel. "First we'll go talk to the Elder. Let him know what's going on. Then we'll go see if we can find this Dhampir. Maybe we can talk her out of trying to kill him."

"I doubt you will have much success," said Wesley. "From what Nick told us I don't think she's about to listen to reason."

"We'll do what we have to to stop her," said Angel. "The sun should be down soon. We'd better get ready to go."

"I'll keep checking and see if I can find out any more," said Wesley. "And perhaps Gunn will learn something."

"Maybe," said Angel. "Let us know the minute you find anything."

"Will do," said Wesley, walking out of the room.

"He seems to enjoy his work very much," said Nick.

"That's our Wesley," said Angel. "When we first met he was something of a tightass. But he's mellowed since then. Still, I think he prefers his books to human company."

"What do you think our first move should be?"

"We go back to Lorne's place. He's an empathy demon and he can often see what's going to happen in someone's future. Maybe he can get a reading or something that will help us find the Elder. Or he might know something that can help us. He does seem to have a lot of contacts around the city."

"Yes, I saw him demonstrate his ability on a Koolar demon. I don't think you'll have to worry about that demon again. From the sounds of it he's on his way out of town as fast as he can go."

"Good riddance to him," said Angel, sneering. "Although I would have preferred to have killed him instead. Koolars feed on babies and children."

"How do you suggest this Lorne get a reading on one of us?"

"One of us will have to sing for him. Or at the very least hum or whistle a tune. That's how he learns things about them."

"That's not something I'm comfortable with," said Nick nervously. "There are some things about my life I'd just as soon keep to myself."

"I can understand that," said Angel. "But he's read me before. So that shouldn't be a problem. I can tell you that whatever he learns he keeps to himself. You can trust him."

"I hope so. We have enough to worry about with the Dhampir to be worried about other demons."

"Well, it might not even be necessary," said Angel. "He might know something that can help us."

"He wasn't very forthcoming to me. He seemed a bit cautious when I spoke to him."

"You're a stranger to him. He has no idea what you have in mind. I'm pretty sure if he knows anything I can convince him to tell us. We have some history together."

"That's good. We can take my car. It's only a couple of blocks away. As soon as the sun is down we can head back to Caritas."


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"So, what's this about you having a soul?" Nick asked as he drove them both to Caritas. The sun had barely set when both vampires headed out to his car. "I know that Vetala vampires aren't supposed to have a soul. This Lorne mentioned something about gypsies."

"Yeah," said Angel. "About a hundred years ago I turned a gypsy girl. Only I didn't just turn her. I tortured her first. Drove her insane, then I turned her. When her clan discovered what I had done they put a curse on me. They restored my soul. Ever since then I've tried to make up for all the evil I did as Angelus."

"You were Angelus?" questioned Nick. "I've heard of you. By all accounts you were sadistic even for a vampire. LaCroix, the Elder that turned me, would have gotten along quite well with you back then."

"It's not who I am anymore. Like I said, I'm trying to make up for everything I did. What about you? Most vampires, even Stryx, revel in what they are. You don't strike me as that type. Especially since you seem to be doing this to protect mortals. That's unusual even for a Stryx vampire."

"Well, as I've told you, I was turned in 1228. For a very long time I was like any other vampire. Feeding off humans with no regard for them. Then things changed. I became tired of all the killing. I decided, much like you, to try and make up for what I did. And I'm searching for a way to restore my humanity. To become human again."

"It sounds like we have a lot in common, even considering the differences," said Angel. "I never thought I'd be friends with a Stryx. I never even imagined I ever meet one, considering we don't travel in the same areas."

"We live in strange times, my friend. I never thought I'd be trying to save another vampire. But as we both know the alternative is unacceptable."

"We're here," said Angel as Nick pulled the car over to the curb. "Let me do most of the talking. Lorne can be kind of finicky especially around strangers."

"Well, it is your territory. That's probably the best course of action. He says there can't be any violence in his club."

"That's right. He has special enchantments on it that actually prevents any kind of aggressive behavior. That's why demons can go there and not worry about being attacked."

The inside of the club had changed very little since Nick had been there earlier. Some of the patrons were different but that was to be expected. The karaoke stage was currently empty and most of the patrons sat around drinking and talking. Nick noticed that the same bartender was behind the bar who had been there the night before. In one corner, talking to what appeared to be a human, was Lorne, the owner. Of course, Nick knew that in this place looks could be deceiving. That "human" could very possibly be another demon.

Angel took a seat at the bar and Nick sat next to him. The bartender all but ignored them. After a moment Lorne glanced over and noticed them sitting at the bar. He said something to the person he was talking to and made his way over to them.

"Well, Angel, fancy seeing you here. And with a Stryx, no less. I never thought I'd see the day when a Stryx and a Vetala would be together. Something tells me this isn't a social call."

"Hey, Lorne," said Angel. "We're looking for a Dhampir. Nick here says you couldn't give him much information last night. I was thinking you might have had a change of heart since then."

"Nick is it?" questioned Lorne. "He neglected to give leave his name the last time he was here."

"Nick Knight," said Nick. "Sorry about last night. I've learned it's not a good idea to give out too much information to people you don't know."

"A good policy, booby," said Lorne. "But I'm afraid I can't really tell you more than I did last night. There's been no talk of any Dhampir in town that I know of. But then again the clientele does have a tendency to keep to themselves most of the time. Kind of the nature of the beast, so to speak."

"Understood," said Angel. "Maybe you could help with something else."

"Sure thing, sweetie," said Lorne. "You know me. Information central. What is it you need to know?"

"Tannara," said Angel. "I'm sure you can tell us something about him."

"Tannara?" questioned Lorne, concern in his voice. "Now what would you two want with a vampire elder? Especially a Stryx vampire? Not exactly the brightest idea for a Stryx to be looking for a Vetala elder if you get my meaning."

"We have business with him," interjected Nick. "Urgent business. And it's important that we find him right away."

"First you say you're looking for a Dhampir," said Lorne. "Now, you're asking about the vampire elder in this region. It seems to me your urgent business can't be anything very good."

"There's some trouble brewing," said Angel. "If we can find Tannara we might be able to head it off. If we can't there could be some really serious problems in the future."

"What kind of problems?" questioned Lorne. "Tannara wouldn't be pleased if I gave out information about him without good cause. And I have no desire to anger a vampire elder. That could cause me trouble I really don't need."

Nick looked at Angel. For a moment Angel just thought about the situation. Then he glanced at Lorne and shrugged once.

"Do you know anything about the Mustadi Covenant?" Nick asked Lorne.

"Some," replied the demon. "I know it's what keeps the peace between the Vetala and the Stryx. And that no vampire would knowingly violate it. But what does the covenant have to do with a Dhampir?"

"She's planning to violate the covenant," said Angel. "By killing Tannara. To start the vampire wars all over again. And she's willing to die to do it. So you see, if we don't stop her it could be disastrous. And not just for us. For you as well. Not all vampires feed strictly on humans. There are some that will feed on demons."

"Yes, I see your point," said Lorne, thoughtfully. "I suppose under the circumstances Tannara wouldn't be too upset if I told you where to find him. He normally stays in an old house on Ocean Avenue near Santa Monica Boulevard. It looks like any other house but Tannara has had it specially prepared. The windows are made of special glass that prevents sunlight from passing through them."

"How often is he there?" asked Angel.

"Most of the time as I understand it," said Lorne. "He rarely leaves the house. But he's far from unprotected. There are several demons with human forms that take care of the grounds and such. You'll usually find them working around the grounds during the day. And I understand he has at least a dozen vampires inside the house for protection. Not to mention that he's an elder. Not exactly an easy fellow to see."

"We'll do fine," said Angel. "Thanks, Lorne. We appreciate the information."

"Well you can repay me by not mentioning where you got the information, sweetie," said Lorne. "To anyone. As I said, I'm not interested in angering a vampire elder. And the less he knows about my help, the better."

"We understand," said Nick. "Don't worry. We won't tell him where we got the information."

"Thanks," said Lorne. "And next time make it a social visit, shall we?"

"We'll see what we can do," said Angel smiling slightly.

The two vampires left the club and headed for Nick's car.

"He's kind of a colorful fellow, isn't he?" Nick said.

"Yes, he is. I'm not really sure where he comes from. I've never met one of his kind before. But like I said, we can trust him. He's always been helpful when I needed him."

"Well, Santa Monica isn't that far away. We should be able to get there and back before sunrise."

"You're familiar with the Los Angeles area?"

"Somewhat. I was here a few decades back. Things have changed a great deal since I was here last. It's a lot bigger and there are a lot of streets that weren't here before. You probably know the area better than I do. What do you think is the best way to get to Santa Monica?"

"Head for the Santa Monica Highway. When we reach the end of it we'll only be a couple of blocks from Santa Monica Boulevard. We should be there in a couple of hours. We'll have to worry about how best to deal with Tannara once we get there."

Nick turned the car and headed for the Santa Monica Highway. Even though much had changed since he had been here last much was still the same. And other than LaCroix he had never met another vampire elder before. The next few hours promised to be a little more than interesting.


	9. Chapter 9

NINE

The house was exactly as Lorne had described. It was set back from the road and a row of trees had been immaculately tended so that they produced a sort of natural fence around the main house, clocking it from view of the road. Nick pulled the car over to the curb next to the house.

"Well, what's the plan?" Nick asked. "I think it's safe to assume this Tannara is going to have guards about. Getting in might be a problem."

"Not really. We want to see Tannara, right? Seems to me the best thing is a direct approach. Just walk up to the front door and knock. Once they see us together I'm betting they'll take us right to him."

"Assuming they don't attack on sight. I am a Stryx, after all. Even after so many centuries of peace there's still bad blood between the Stryx and the Vetala. Plenty of Vetala around that were involved in the old blood wars. They might just decide to try and get rid of me."

"I wouldn't worry about that. Any vampire in there is there to protect Tannara. And I doubt they have very many unannounced visitors. Their curiosity will be to find out why we're here. Of course, I can't vouch for what happens afterwards."

"I can take care of myself, my friend. Let's just get this over with."

The two vampires walked up the sidewalk to the front of the house. Several rooms had lights on in them and it appeared to be nothing more than any other house in the neighborhood. But the two had no delusions. They knew that several vampires and possibly even demons were even now watching them closely to see what they were up to.

They walked up on the front porch and Angel rang the doorbell without hesitation. After a few moments they heard the door opening. When it opened a man about Nick's age stood inside the house. They could see two other men standing in the entryway to the house. Neither had any doubt that all three men were vampires whose only purpose was to protect the elder.

"What do you want?" demanded the vampire inside the house. "No one has sent for you."

He glanced at Nick for a moment and then took a harder look. Suddenly a look of recognition crossed his face.

"Are you mad?" demanded the vampire. "This is Vetala territory. Stryx are not allowed here. And certainly not a Stryx Patriarch. Don't you know what your very presence here means?"

"We know," said Angel. "It's part of the reason we're here. We need to see Tannara. It's very important."

"No one sees the elder," said the vampire. "And certainly not a Stryx." He spat out the word "Stryx" as if it were some vile thing that left a bad taste in his mouth. "Just by coming here you've endangered us all." He motioned for the two vampires behind him. "By coming here you forfeit your life, Stryx. And you, Vetala. Your life is also forfeit. For being in league with a Stryx."

"Not so fast," said Nick, pulling LaCroix's ring out of his pocket. "Give this to Tannara. He'll want to see us."

"I'll deliver nothing," spat out the vampire. "Especially from a Stryx."

"Then tell him Angelus wants to see him," said Angel, his face changing. He had the wrinkled brow and fangs characteristic of a Vetala vampire. He stood toe to toe with the vampire showing no fear.

"Angelus?" questioned the vampire, a slight hint of fear in his voice. "Angelus has a soul now. He protects the humans that we feed on."

"I may have a soul, but I still remember what I used to be like. And trust me. The protection I afford humans doesn't apply to vampires. Now, deliver the message and the ring to Tannara. Unless you want firsthand knowledge of what I used to be like as Angelus."

The vampire looked at Angel for a moment and then at Nick. Without another word he took the ring from Nick and headed back into the house. The remaining two vampires took up positions just inside the entryway. They stood waiting for any sign of aggression from Angel or Nick. After a few moments the first vampire came back into the entryway.

"Tannara says he will see you," said the vampire without preamble.

Angel and Nick followed him into the back room of the house. It was modestly furnished. Not what Nick would have expected from a vampire that was at least 2,000 years old. But then, most vampires preferred to keep a very low profile. And an elder would be even more so. It wouldn't do for the mortal world to discover who they really were.

As they entered what appeared to be a study they got their first glimpse of the elder. He wasn't what Nick had expected. He looked to be no older than 18 or 20. He sipping from a glass of blood, the bottle sitting next to him on the desk he sat behind. Lying on the desk was an open book. He looked up as the vampire led Angel and Nick into the study. The vampire then bowed and left the room. Tannara put down his glass of blood and picked up the ring Nick had given to the vampire.

"This is the ring of a vampire elder," said Tannara without looking up from the table. "Lucien De LaCroix, to be exact. He's a vampire elder for the Stryx." He looked up at Nick. "Now, unless you killed him and took it from him – something I highly doubtful knowing Lucien – I can only assume he gave it to you. Something of a letter of introduction, so to speak."

"My name is Nicholas Knight and he sent me here to speak to you."

"Nicholas Knight," repeated Tannara. "Whose real name is Nicholas de Brabant. A vampire trying to regain his humanity. Oh, don't look so surprised. Lucien has told me all about you. About your misguided attempt to return to the life of mortality you once knew. But I haven't seen Lucien in about 60 years or so. How is the old dog?"

"Unchanged," said Nick. "You know LaCroix. Nothing changes him."

"So true," replied Tannara. He looked over at Angel. "And the infamous Angelus. Oh, forgive me. You go by Angel now, don't you? There was that nasty busy with the gypsies, as I remember. Restoring your soul and all. You were such a loss to us. Your work as Angelus was very admirable. I often entertained the notion of inviting you to join me in my personal entourage. You would have made quite an addition to my little group."

"That was another lifetime," replied Angel.

"Of course. Well, I can only imagine what must bring a Stryx to my humble abode. And sent by a Stryx elder no less. The matter must be quite serious for you to risk coming into our territory like this."

"It's extremely important," said Nick. "It has to do with the Mustadi Covenant."

"Which your presence here has all ready violated," Tannara shot back. "Surely you must know that it is forbidden for a Stryx to enter the territory of the Vetala. To do so violates the covenant and risks all out war again."

"That's why LaCroix sent me instead of coming himself," said Nick. "He said if he came here it would be seen as a violation by all Stryx. By sending me he hoped to minimize any possible damage. At most it would appear to be an isolated incident."

"Lucien always was quite clever. And he's quite right. Even a patriarch coming into our territory would be viewed as a single incident and not a whole scale violation. It would be a simple matter to simply dispose of you thereby protecting the covenant. But why would Lucien feel it necessary to risk your life by sending you here?"

"It has to do with a Dhampir named Daphne," said Nick. "A Dhampir who hopes to violate the covenant by killing you and starting the vampire wars all over again."


	10. Chapter 10

TEN

"Well, that's quite a story," said Tannara after Nick had told him about Daphne's plan. "To risk coming here to kill me to avenge herself on the vampire who sired her? Very bold. But you must realize that she would stand little chance here. Besides myself there are more than a dozen high level vampires here. Each has vowed to give their lives before allowing any harm to come to me. Surely the threat of a single Dhampir is of no consequence."

"Ordinarily I'd agree with you," said Nick. "But according to LaCroix this is no ordinary Dhampir. She's the daughter of an elder. He never told me which one. But he said she has the powers of a full vampire."

"Even a full vampire would be hard pressed to get to me," said Tannara, "let alone be able to kill me. Even one such as Angelus would be no match for a dozen vampires and myself. No offense intended but everyone has their limits."

"None taken," said Angel. "I know I'm not invincible. But one of the people who works for me also found an ancient prophecy supposedly about this Dhampir. The prophecy says that she'll kill you restarting the vampire wars of over a thousand years ago."

"Yes, the vampire wars," said Tannara, closing his eyes. "I was there. It was whole scale chaos. Vampire killing vampire. And the mortals caught in the middle."

"You were there?" questioned Nick.

"Yes," said Tannara. "You find that surprising? I'm a vampire. I was turned when I was barely 22. And as you know, vampires do not age as humans do. Being so young looking does have its advantages. Many of my opponents have a tendency to underestimate me because they don't realize just how old I am."

"We need to find this Daphne," said Angel. "Put a stop to her before she can get to you. If we can stop her before she gets to you then we can circumvent the prophecy and prevent the wars from starting all over again."

Tannara picked up the phone on his desk and pressed a button. A moment later a vampire dressed in a suit stepped into the room and stood in front of the desk waiting for Tannara to speak.

"This is Valen," Tannara explained to Angel and Nick. "He's my personal assistant." He turned back to the vampire. "Valen, apparently there's a Stryx Dhampir in Los Angeles. I want her found. She's to be killed on sight. The vampire that kills her will be rewarded for their service."

"Yes, sir," said Valen. "I will attend to it immediately."

"Oh, and Valen," said Tannara. "This is Nicholas Knight. As you can tell he's a Stryx as well. I want word passed that as long as he's in Los Angeles he's under my personal protection. He's not to be harmed."

"You realize the Master will not be happy about this," said Valen, glancing at Nick. "Vetala do not protect Stryx. It has been so for many centuries."

"I will explain it to the Master," said Tannara. "He will understand. But I want it made very clear that this Stryx is under my personal protection. Make sure that word of it gets out to all Vetala in Los Angeles."

"Word will be passed before dawn," said Valen.

"He's a good assistant," said Tannara as Valen left the room. "But sometimes I think he worries too much about me."

"Thanks," said Nick. "At least I don't have to worry about a Vetala trying to take me out while I'm here. We have enough to worry about without some vampire trying to settle a score more than a thousand years old."

"Well, you may still have to be concerned with it," said Tannara. "There are always a few rogues who do not listen to the elders. Some Vetala may still choose settle the old score, as you put it. I cannot be held responsible for the actions of a rogue who chooses not to follow my edict."

"I understand that," said Nick. "But I think I can handle a rogue. It wouldn't be the first time I've had to deal with someone coming after me for revenge."

"I'm sure," said Tannara. He handed LaCroix's ring back to Nick. "I've put out the word that this Daphne is to be killed on sight. Chances are she won't live more than a day or two at most. In which case all of our problems will be solved."

"She may survive," said Nick. "If she's as powerful as LaCroix implied most regular vampires may not be able to handle her. There aren't many vampires that can go up against an elder and survive."

"Which is why I've had the word spread that you are under my protection," said Tannara. "Other than what Lucien has told me, I actually know very little about you, Mr. Knight. But I'm very familiar with Angelus's reputation. And even though he has a soul and goes by Angel now, I know that he still possesses the skills and attributes he's always possessed. Which means even an elder might be hard pressed to stand against him. Between the two of you, you may be able stop her before she can get here.

"That notwithstanding, I will be employing more vampires as guards on my home. When – and if – this Dhampir should get here, she'll find this place quite well protected. As you, this is not the first time I've had to deal with someone bent on revenge against me. And I can assure you that should she gain entry into this house she will find it more than adequately defended. She'll barely make it past the entryway."

"I wouldn't feel too overconfident," said Nick. "LaCroix is not one to run scared. If he thinks this is as serious as he says I have a tendency to believe him."

"Don't worry, my friend," said Tannara. "I have no desire to be killed by some half breed who blames all the vampire community for her happenstance of birth. I will be extremely well protected and the covenant will be safe."

He paused for a moment.

"I do want to make one think perfectly clear, however," he said, suddenly becoming very serious. "I have no love for Stryx. I admire Lucien because of his efficiency and tenacity. He is a very worthy opponent. But we are far from friends. And my protection of you extends only as long as this crisis exists. Once the matter is concluded I will expect you to leave the Los Angeles area immediately and never return. Until and unless the territories change which will allow your kind to live here."

"That's clearly understood," said Nick. "And I have no desire to stay here any longer than necessary. As soon as the Dhampir is dealt with I'll return to Sacramento. You have my word."

"I shall hold you to that word," said Tannara. "And if you should go back on it I can assure you, you're your stay here would be short lived. I'll have you destroyed without a second thought."

"I completely understand," said Nick.

Tannara turned to Angel.

"I assume your cooperation with this Stryx is because of the danger to the Mustadi Covenant and not because of some misplaced kinship you may feel toward him. You are still a Vetala even though you now possess a soul. Do not mistake that the Stryx are still our sworn enemies. And most would destroy you on sight given the chance."

"We're working together to protect the covenant," said Angel. "Nothing more. Once our business is concluded I doubt we'll see each other ever again."

"Good," said Tannara, picking up his glass of blood. "I would offer you both a drink but as I understand it, neither of you indulges in human blood any longer. You may see yourselves out. I trust there will be no reason for you to pay me a second visit."

Angel and Nick turned and left the room. As they left the several vampires watched them intently. They left the house and walked toward the car.

"He may be right," said Angel. "He seems to have enough vampires to protect him even from Daphne."

"Maybe not," said Nick. "You haven't been around as long as I have. I've seen LaCroix do things that would amaze you. I even staked him once but he didn't die. I'm not really sure what it would take to kill him. If Daphne is the Dhampir of an elder she may have this same strength. If she does she may be harder to get rid of than we imagine."

"We'll just have to wait until we find her to see. In the mean time we'd better get back to the hotel. Gunn may have learned something or Wesley may have learned something in his books that might be helpful. And we still have to find her. That's proving to be problematical."

"We'll just have to keep looking. We should be able to get back to the hotel well before sunrise. We can start looking for her tomorrow night."

As Nick drove back to the Hyperion the two continued to talk. They were discovering they had much more in common than simply being vampires. And for a change they each had someone they could talk with who really understood what they were going through. A bond was forming between them that would have been impossible with any other creature.


	11. Chapter 11

ELEVEN

"What is this, pig?" Nick questioned as he and Angel enjoyed a drink back at the hotel.

"Yeah," said Angel. "I have a butcher that supplies me with blood when I need it."

"I prefer cow," said Nick. "Pig has always been a little watery to me."

"I find it's a little lighter than cow," replied Angel. "I usually prefer it when I'm planning to go into combat. Cow can sometimes give you that bloated feeling."

"Well that's true," said Nick.

"Are you two quite through?" asked Cordelia.

"Yeah, sorry," said Nick, smiling self-consciously. "But no one but a vampire could understand the varieties and nuances of different kinds of blood. To most they seem almost identical."

"Don't mind her," said Angel. "She gets like that when she's awake."

"Ha, ha, very funny," said Cordelia. "Can we please talk about something other than blood? It's just so morbid?"

"Did Gunn call in yet?" Angel asked.

"Not yet," replied Cordelia. "I guess that means he hasn't found anything."

"Wes, what have you found out?" Angel asked the Watcher.

"Not very much, I'm afraid," said Wes. "None of the texts have anything specific about the Dhampir. Just that she would kill an elder vampire and that the vampire wars would start up again."

"I don't understand how a vampire could have a child," said Cordelia. "I thought vampires were incapable of having children."

"Most are," said Nick. "Vampires like Angel – the Vetala – are incapable of having any children. That's because technically they're dead. Their body has been reanimated and they need blood to stay alive. Vampires like me – the Stryx – are different. Technically, we aren't dead. Our bodies are infected with a virus that alters our DNA. Angel has no heartbeat. I have one but it's so slow it's virtually undetectable. My heart only beats about once every minute or so."

"But you're still immortal, like the Vetala?" questioned Wes.

"In a manner of speaking," said Nick. "We age extremely slowly when compared with humans. In a thousand years I won't be significantly older than I was the day I was turned. Most of our body functions are nearly identical to humans, though. For both variety of vampires. That's why we don't appear any different from normal humans. On the surface, at least."

"What does this have to do with having children?" Cordelia asked.

"Well," Nick continued, "in some rare cases the altered DNA of a Stryx is not altered as significantly as for most. Those will retain some more human aspects than other vampires. Oh, it would take a geneticist to tell the difference. But they retain enough human DNA to be able to produce offspring. Those offspring are Dhampir."

"But most Dhampir aren't a threat to vampires," continued Angel. "Their strength is only slightly greater than a normal human. And most won't possess a lot of the abilities for normal vampires. But they aren't affected by the sun or garlic or holy water like vampires are."

"But this Daphne is different," said Wesley. "Apparently she has inherited all of the strengths of her vampire father but none of the weaknesses. This would make her a most formidable opponent. What about blood? Does she have to ingest blood like a vampire?"

"According to LaCroix she does," said Nick. "But not like a normal vampire. She doesn't need it to survive but it does enhance her abilities. Makes her stronger than normal. My guess is she'll gorge herself on blood before she attacks Tannara. So that she'll be as strong as possible."

"Well, can't we use that to find her?" Wesley asked. "If she's going to need that much blood all we have to do is find her victims. I should imagine they would be very close together so that she retains her strength as long as possible."

"In this city?" Angel questioned. "And just how would we go about finding that out? It's not like there's a database of vampire victims we could check. Besides, I'd like to find her before she kills anyone else. Tannara isn't the only one we're trying to protect. We're also trying to protect any of her potential victims."

"Good point," said Wesley dejectedly.

"Maybe I can help," said Gunn, coming in the front door of the Hyperion. "I have a lead on where she might be. It's nothing concrete but it's more than we had earlier."

"Good," said Angel. "What do you have?"

"An old mansion on one of the hills just outside the city," said Gunn. "It's owned by some rich industrialist or something that doesn't use it much. Apparently the last time he was there was about six years ago. The house is apparently up for sell but it hasn't been moving very well so it's been unoccupied for the last 6 months."

"What makes you think she's there?" Nick asked.

"Because his supposed daughter showed up three or four days ago and took up residence," said Gunn. "She's never been seen during the day, she's young – about 20 or so – with brown hair, and she goes by the name Daphne."

"She's using her real name?" Cordelia questioned.

"Why not?" Nick asked. "No one knows who she is. And if she has the powers of a full vampire it would be easy for her to convince people she's who she claims to be. Not to mention she might actually be this industrialists daughter. LaCroix never told me who the elder was that sired her. And considering the age of an elder he would probably be quite wealthy. Wealthy enough to own a house like that here in Los Angeles."

"There's more," said Gunn. "I was also able to find out that she regularly calls some of the temp employment places around town. Calls for things like maids, gardeners, chauffeurs, that sort of thing. Only no one seems to have seen any of the workers around the house. She's hired them for two weeks so the agencies aren't worried about not hearing from them. They just assume they're at the jobs for her."

"Well, that would be the blood supply she needs to fulfill her mission to kill the elder," said Wesley. "All she has to do is keep them prisoner until she's ready to strike and then feed on them before she attacks. That could very well make her unstoppable."

"Not if we get to her first," said Angel, looking out the window to the hotel. "It will be sunup soon. We'd never get to the house before the sun came up. And I'm willing to bet we can't get their using the sewer system either. Looks like we'll have to wait until nightfall to go get her."

"Not necessarily," said Gunn, smiling at the others. "I thought of that. I have a large panel van waiting outside. It should protect both Angel and Nick long enough for them to get inside the house. And she won't be expecting an attack from vampires during the day."

"That's good thinking," said Nick. "If she doesn't know we're on to her she won't be expecting an attack during the day."

"What about protection?" Wesley asked. "Do you think she'll have anyone with her? Like other vampires?"

"I doubt it," said Nick. "As we told you no vampire would knowingly violate the Mustadi Covenant. They're all aware of the catastrophe that could produce. I don't think she'd risk her plans on vampires who aren't willing to go along with her plans. Besides, she'll want to savor it for herself. She knows that once she's completed her mission everyone will know it was her that did it."

"Nick is right," said Angel. "If she's willing to die to accomplish her goal it would be too important to her to risk anyone finding out beforehand. She probably wouldn't want to risk word getting out by involving other vampires."

"So, when do we go?" Gunn asked.

"We?" Angel questioned.

"Yeah," said Gunn. "Unless you plan to drive the van to the house. Besides safety in numbers and all. She's just another vamp, after all."

"She's not your ordinary vampire," said Nick. "And she's too powerful to put any of you in danger."

"Gunn does have a point," said Angel. "The sun will be up very soon. Neither of us can drive the van once that happens. We'll need at least someone to get us there."

"Plus the rest of us can distract her while you're getting inside," said Wesley. "It will be easier for you to sneak in the back while one of us keeps her occupied at the front door."

"He has a point," said Nick. "It's going to be hard enough getting inside. It would make it easier if she were distracted."

"Okay," said Angel. "Gunn can drive us there and Wesley can distract her at the front door while Nick and I sneak inside. Any idea how you plan to distract her?"

"I'll just tell her I was sent by one of the agencies," said Wesley. "That should keep her distracted long enough for the two of you to get into the house."

"What about me?" Cordelia asked. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to stay here," said Angel. "If we aren't successful, Tannara will have to be told. If we aren't back by sunset call Lorne. He can get a message to Tannara. That way at least Tannara will be prepared for her."

"But I want to help," Cordelia protested.

"That is helping," said Nick. "You're our second line of defense. We need to be prepared in case Nick and I can't stop her. Otherwise Daphne might just succeed with her plan and that would be disastrous for everyone."

"Well, okay," Cordelia relented. "But only because you say it's so important."

"There is one problem we haven't considered," said Wesley. "Vetala can't enter a home unless the rightful owner invites them in. I seriously doubt if she's about to do that and unless she does sneaking in is going to be nearly impossible for Angel."

"That doesn't apply in this case," said Angel. "If the house is on the public market for sale then an invitation to enter is implied. Whoever owns the house implies an open invitation to anyone who wants to enter so they can check it out. The term 'open house' can have more than one meaning in this case."

"I never knew that," said Wesley. "I suppose it would similar to a hotel or a boarding house."

"Very much," said Nick. "Fortunately Stryx don't suffer from that particular problem. We can enter any residence whether we're invited in or not."

"Come on," said Angel. "Let's get this over with." He reached under the counter and pulled out two wooden stakes. He handed one to Nick. "We'll probably need these. From what I know about Dhampirs ordinary weapons aren't going to kill her. She'll need to be killed like any ordinary vampire."

Nick took the stake and headed out the door with the others. As they piled into the van the first rays of the sun began to seep between the buildings of the mostly sleeping city.


	12. Chapter 12

TWELVE

The house turned out to be a mansion overlooking the city of Los Angeles. It sat high on a hill with a view of the entire valley below. As Gunn pulled the van up in front of the house he and Wesley looked for any possible entry that Angel and Nick could use to get into the house.

"It's a very old house," Wesley told the two vampires who had to remain hidden in the back of the van away from the rays of the sun. "There looks to be an old coal chute on the side of the house. I would imagine it hasn't been used for many years. The house would have been converted to either electricity or gas some time ago. But you should be able to get in the house easily enough. It's on the west side of the house so you won't be in direct line of the sun."

"Good," said Angel. "Let us out as close to the chute as you can. Once you have her at the front door Nick and I will go in through the chute. Then I want you and Gunn out of here. She's too dangerous for you guys."

"I can take care of myself," Gunn protested.

"Not this time, Gunn," said Angel. "If it were an ordinary vampire I would agree. But she's no ordinary vampire. Just distract her and then get out of there. Once we've dealt with her we'll contact Cordelia and you can come back and pick us up."

"Right," said Wesley. "We'll wait for your call."

Gunn pulled the van up to the side of the house and Angel and Nick got out of the van. The sun effectively blocked them from direct exposure to the sun. Unlike the myths and legends of vampire, true vampires were only affected by direct exposure to the sun. In a short while, however, the sun would move directly overhead flooding the entire area with sunlight. Angel and Nick would be inside the house long before that happened.

Gunn then turned the van and drove up to the front of the house. Wesley got out, and headed for the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently until someone came to answer. When the door opened he got his first look at the Dhampir.

She was exactly as Nick had described her. She was about 20 years old with brown hair that hung past her shoulders. She had no noticeable scars or tattoos and she was extremely attractive. She was dressed in a leather pantsuit that accentuated her figure nicely. She just smiled at Wesley as she opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so," replied Wesley. "I was sent over by the Garner Employment Agency. As I understand it you recently contracted for some of our employees. I was sent to see how the employees were working out for you. It's our policy to contact those who employ our people and make sure they're satisfied with their work."

"Well, that's very thoughtful of you. I've never known a temp agency to be so thorough in its dealings with their clientele. I will tell you that the people you sent over have worked out perfectly. They're exactly what I was looking for."

"Very good. No complaints about their work?"

"None whatsoever. They're working out exactly as I imagined they would. I can tell you that if I am in need of help in the future I'll be sure to call your agency again. And I'll be sure to tell all my friends about you."

"That's very kind of you. Well, that's all I needed. If you should have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to call our office. We would be most interested in hearing any thoughts you would have regarding our service."

"I'll do that. Thank you for stopping by."

"My pleasure."

Wesley walked back and got into the van as the woman stood in the doorway watching them. As they pulled out of the drive Wesley glanced at the doors to the coal chute. One door was slightly ajar and he was confident that Angel and Nick were safely inside.

"That was pretty smooth," Gunn said as he pulled out of the driveway.

"All in a day's work," said Wesley. "Just a matter of flattering her is all. Not the first time I've had to do something like that."

Once they had pulled out of sight of the house Gunn pulled the van over. He shut the engine off and reached under his seat, pulling out a large revolver.

"What on earth are you doing?" questioned Wesley.

"You don't really think we're going to let Angel and Nick do this by themselves, do you? They may need our help and I for one ain't going to just sit back while they do all the work."

"Got any more weapons?"

"In the crate in the back. I keep this van stocked up just in case. Just help yourself."

Gunn and Wesley picked their weapons from the crate and then headed for the house. It wouldn't take them long to get there. And they would be a big surprise for the she-vampire in the house.

* * *

Angel and Nick looked around the cellar of the house. There were no lights on but their vampire senses allowed them to see more effectively than any human. Silently they made their way up the steps to the door to the first floor. From their vantage point it was impossible to tell if Wesley had been successful in distracting Daphne. But since no type of alarm had been raised they both assumed he had been.

Angel opened the door to the first floor only a crack. The house was lavishly decorated with all types of antiques and equally expensive items. It was immaculately tended. He could hear Wesley at the front door and a woman talking with him. After a moment Wesley stopped talking and angel heard the van start up and drive away. As the sound of the van faded into the distance he heard the front door close. Angel closed the door.

"She appears to be alone," Angel whispered to Nick. "It looks like the door opens into some kind of study. There's a doorway to the right and another doorway at the other end of the room. I suggest we split up. You take the far end. I'll take the near doorway. We might be able to take her by surprise that way."

"Right," said Nick. "Wait until I get into position and then you get her attention. While you're distracting her I'll move up behind her. That should give us the best tactical advantage against her."

"Okay," said Angel. "We need to do this quick. We can't give her any chance to strike back. If she's the daughter of an elder there's no telling just how powerful she really is. I don't want to give her the chance to use any of that power against us."

"We'll have to destroy her body completely. As I told you, LaCroix has survived at least one staking. And the vampire that turned him actually survived decapitation. If she has that kind of power we can't risk her rising later to complete her mission. Once we've taken her down we'll have to burn her body so there's nothing left."

"No problem with me there. Be careful in there. She's going to have the same senses we do. Which means she might be able to sense that you're there. With a little luck I can keep her busy long enough for her not to notice you until you're in position."

Nick just nodded. Angel opened the door again and looked out into the room beyond. No one was present. They had no way of knowing where Daphne was but they were sure she was still in the house. Angel moved out into the room and took up a position near the doorway to the entryway. Nick moved silently across the room and took up a position near the opposite doorway. They looked at each other and Nick nodded once to Angel.

Angel stepped out into the entryway. He saw Daphne standing at a table in the entryway looking through what looked like a stack of mail. She was casually looking through the stack of envelopes as Angel stepped out into the entryway.

"I was wondering who was trying to sneak into my house," said Daphne without looking up from the envelopes. "Your friend at the front door was very convincing. He almost had me believing what he was telling me. But I'm not as gullible as that. I sensed you enter the moment you forced the door to the cellar."

"It was a calculated risk," said Angel, noticing Nick move into the entryway behind the woman. "Sometimes they work sometimes, they don't."

"And this time it didn't. So tell me. What is a Vetala doing in my home? Come to punish me for violating your territory? Would that be considered noble?"

"I can't let you complete your plans. If I let you kill the elder it will start a war that will be devastating. Not only to the vampire communities but to the humans as well. That's not acceptable."

"And you think you can stop me? Not alone, of course. I assume your friend behind me has plans to attack me without warning. An attempt to take me out before I'm even aware he's there."

Angel looked at her in surprise.

"If you know why I'm here then you must also know that the man who sired me is an elder. And that I have all of his abilities. Not just the abilities of a vampire but those of a vampire elder. I sensed both of you enter. But I wasn't sure what you were doing here until just this moment."

"Then you know we have to stop you," said Nick. "You're half human. Even if you hate what you are don't the lives of all the humans at stake mean anything to you?"

She glanced around at Nick.

"A Stryx vampire? Well, now that is a surprise. I assumed you both were Vetala. Like any vampire I can sense other vampires. Unfortunately it doesn't tell me what type of vampire they are. I just naturally assumed that since this was Vetala territory you'd both be Vetala vampires."

"What type we are isn't important," said Angel. "Stopping you is. If you won't listen to reason then we'll have no choice but to destroy you. But there's no way you're going ahead with your plans. They stop here."

Daphne just laughed.

"Do you really think you are a match for me? I'm the blood offspring of an elder. I'm no ordinary Dhampir. And not even two vampires are a match for me, even if one of them is a Patriarch. I suggest you leave here now while you still can."

"Now that would be a bit of a problem," said Angel. "The sun is still up. Which means we're sort of stuck here until it sets. At any rate we aren't leaving until you either change your mind or you're dead. There's no middle ground."

"Have it your way," said the she-vampire. "But don't say I didn't give you a chance."

Angel suddenly launched himself at Daphne. His vampiric strength and speed allowed him to move much faster than any human could have. At nearly the same instant Nick launched himself at her as well. Between the two of them there was little doubt she could withstand their attacks.

The she-vampire suddenly side stepped Angel and kicked out with her foot. She struck him along the side of the head sending him reeling into the wall nearby. Almost as fast she turned on Nick. She swung out and struck Nick full in the face with her fist sending him careening into the opposite wall.

Her strength and speed were incredible. Even for a vampire her strength was enhanced. Angel realized that the legends he had heard about elders were true. They were as far above vampires as vampires were above humans. And this Dhampir – this half human hybrid – was as strong and as fast as any elder.

Without hesitation Angel launched himself at the female vampire again. This time he was ready for her retaliation and as she struck out at him with her foot he simply reached up and grabbed it. He used all of his considerable vampire strength and threw the woman against the wall. Then he hit her with all of his might full in the face.

The woman barely flinched. Just as quickly she struck out at him hitting him several times in succession. Even though Angel was able to ignore most pain the pain from those blows was considerable.

She was about to strike him again when Nick suddenly appeared behind her. He grabbed Daphne by the throat and flung her across the room. She slammed into the front door and slid to the floor, momentarily stunned by the blow. Just as quickly, however, she recovered from the attack and stood to face her two attackers.

Angel and Nick faced the woman who was bent on destroying the vampire elder. Blood trickled from a cut on her lip but she barely noticed it. She stood facing the two full vampires with a smirk on her face.

"I must admit you're more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I wouldn't have thought two normal vampires would be capable of standing against me so long. And your fighting is very impressive. But you must know you can never beat me. No one will stop me from exacting my revenge. Not even the two of you."

"That's where you're wrong," said Angel. "We're stopping you here and now."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Daphne. Before either of the vampires could move she turned and opened the front door to the house. Sunlight streamed in through the door and Nick and Angel instinctively dived to opposite sides of the room to avoid the lethal rays. "As you said, the sun is still up. It doesn't affect me, of course. But both of you are still quite susceptible to it."

Nick landed on the floor and rolled to his knees. With one fluid motion he pulled the wooden stake out of his belt and cast it at Daphne. The attack took her by surprise and the stake struck her in the shoulder, embedding itself about halfway. She howled in pain and dropped to the floor in the doorway. She reached up and pulled the offending weapon from her shoulder and cast it aside.

"You think this will stop me? It will heal quickly enough. And since I can tolerate the sun and neither of you can't, you have no chance of stopping me."

"Perhaps we might be able to change your mind," said Wesley, as he and Gunn ran up the yard toward the house.

Daphne looked at the two humans and then at the two vampires who have hurriedly moved out of the sunlight streaming through the door.

"It seems I'm outnumbered. And while I don't suffer the same affects from the sun as the two of you I am severely weakened by it. Oh, still more than a match for two humans. I suggest you return to whatever lives you have. This will be over long before you can interfere again."

Suddenly she turned and ran toward Gunn and Wesley. Gunn didn't hesitate. He raised the revolver he had and fired three shots at the Dhampir. The three rounds struck her in the chest but she barely slowed. Without slowing she swung out striking Gunn along the head sending him flying across the yard, the gun he was holding landing almost silently in the grass.

Wesley also had a pistol and raised it intend on stopping Daphne before she could get any farther. But even in full sunlight she moved with amazing speed. As Wesley raised the pistol she reached him and deftly reached out pulling the pistol out of his hand. She stood looking at him and then threw the pistol across the yard – much too far for Wesley to reach. She stared at him for a moment.

"This time you get a reprieve," she said. "Don't follow me, human. If you do I can promise you I won't be as accommodating. This is not your concern. Let it go while you still can. There's no need for you to die."

Without another word she turned and ran across the yard and disappeared into a clump of trees several yards away. Wesley could do nothing else but stand and watch, knowing that her speed would make her impossible to catch. As she disappeared into the trees Wesley turned and went to make sure that Gunn was okay.


	13. Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

"What are you doing here?" Angel demanded as Wesley closed the front door, blocking the sunlight from entering the house. "I told you to go back to the hotel and wait for us."

"You really didn't think we were going to let you go up against her alone, did you?" Gunn asked, nursing his sore jaw. "We thought you would need our help. It seems we underestimated her. I hit her three times in the chest and it didn't even slow her down."

"Bullets have little effect on vampires," said Nick. "It would seem that's an ability she inherited from her sire."

"I guess coming here during the day wasn't such a good idea," said Angel. "As it is, it turned out to work against us rather than for us."

"Which begs the question, why are we still alive?" Wesley asked. "She can obviously withstand sunlight. Which means the two of you would be at a distinct disadvantage. And she handled Gunn and me as if we were nothing more than children to her. So why didn't she kill us when she had the chance?"

"She's after Tannara, not us," said Angel. "That stake injured her. She's probably off somewhere waiting to heal so she can go after the elder."

"That's just my point," said Wesley. "You two couldn't leave the house. She incapacitated Gunn with one hit. And she had the perfect opportunity to kill me despite her injury. So why didn't she?"

"Who cares?" questioned Gunn. "Just be glad she didn't."

"It might make a great deal of difference," said Nick. "She knows that we know what she's up to. And by not killing us when she had the chance, she must know it risks us going to Tannara and telling him about her if we haven't all ready."

"Precisely," said Wesley. "Besides, if she's as dead set on killing the elder as you claim, it wouldn't matter to her who she has to kill to accomplish that goal. Anyone who got in her way should have been seen as an obstacle to her mission. So why let us go and risk alerting her target that she's after him? She must know he would fortify his position once he learns of her."

"That may not matter," said Angel. "I've fought some tough adversaries in the past but nothing like her. I've never seen anyone with her speed and strength before. Even in full daylight she was more than a match for us."

"Let's search the house," said Angel. "Daphne might have gotten away but there's still the matter of the help she hired. They're probably tied up somewhere in this house. We need to get them out of here in case she decides to come back for them."

They all split up and began to search the house. When they finished, there was no sign of anyone but the four of them. The house was completely empty and by all indications had been for some time.

"That's odd," said Wesley. "If she were planning to use them to boost her strength before she attacked Tannara she would have most likely kept them nearby. Where do you think they could be?"

"Good question," said Nick.

"Gunn, pull the van around to the side of the house," said Angel. "We need to get back to the hotel and decide on our next move. It will take some time for her wounds to heal but if she has the healing powers of an elder that won't be long."

"On my way," said Gunn, heading out the front door.

* * *

"Ouch. Hey, take it easy."

"Oh, stop whining, you baby," said Cordelia as she tended to a cut on Gunn's jaw. "It's not much more than a scratch."

Nick and Angel's injuries had nearly healed by the time they returned to the hotel. Besides a sore jaw which, thankfully, wasn't broken, Gunn had a small cut on his jaw where Daphne had hit him.

"That ring she was wearing must have cut me when she hit me," said Gunn. "I'm lucky she didn't break my jaw. That woman has some serious strength on her."

"She is half vampire," said Nick. "Most vampires can exhibit tremendous strength, especially during moments of intense feelings. And fighting for your life is one of the most intense."

"Yeah, we've seen that firsthand with Angel," said Cordelia, closing the first aid kit. "All in all I'd say you guys were pretty lucky to get off with no more than you have. From what you said she could easily have killed you all, including Angel and Nick."

"So why didn't she?" questioned Wesley.

"That's a good question," said Nick. "In 800 years I've seen my share of people out on a vendetta. And most of them don't hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way, just was Wesley said. It doesn't make sense she'd just walk away like that."

"Well, you did say she was after the elder," said Cordelia. "Maybe she just thought you weren't that much of a threat."

"No, Nick's right," said Angel. "She would definitely have seen us as a threat. As Angelus I've been in that situation myself a few times. And I would never have let someone walk away if they could have warned whoever I was after. Something isn't right here."

"Well, things are rarely that cut and dried with LaCroix," said Nick. "He almost always has his own agenda for everything."

"You think this LaCroix might have sent the Dhampir after Tannara?" questioned Angel.

"No, that doesn't make sense," said Nick. "LaCroix is many things but he's not stupid. Even if he has some sort of vendetta against Tannara he wouldn't risk violating the covenant even to satisfy that vendetta. And she as much as admitted she was after Tannara. There might be something else going on here that I wasn't told about."

"Like what?" asked Wesley.

"It could be anything," said Nick. "LaCroix rarely lies. He doesn't feel he needs to. But he will often omit certain things if it suits his purpose. Selective honesty is something he mastered a long time ago."

"None of which helps us right now," said Angel. "We still have to find this Dhampir and stop her from reaching Tannara. Despite what LaCroix may not have told you, we still know that she's after Tannara. And if our encounter with her is any indication, she's more than capable of completing this mission of hers. We have to find out where she went and stop her before she can reach him."

"That could be a problem," said Gunn. "It's going to take time to check with my sources to see if they know anything. And if she heals as quickly as you say, we might still be looking for her when she goes after Tannara."

"I'd still like to know what happened to the people she hired from the temp agency," said Wesley. "She still might be planning to use them before she attacks Tannara. We need to get them away from her before she kills them."

"The trouble is we have no way of knowing where she might be keeping them," said Nick. "She might have another house as a backup. If that's the case, they might be dead before we can get to them."

"I might be able to help," said Cordelia. "When I first came out to Los Angeles I wasn't getting very many acting gigs. Well, none, actually. I had to support myself somehow. So I worked at that temp agency for a while. I figured it would be a good way to support myself until my big break came. And since it was a temp job it wouldn't be any big loss if I just quit without notice. That happens a lot with those places."

"How does that help us?" Gunn asked.

"Well, most people who hire temps do it over the phone," said Cordelia. "Or they have a standing agreement with the agency. They just call in and tell them what they need and the agency sends them over."

"And that helps us how?" questioned Angel.

"Most of the transactions are done with credit cards," said Cordelia, rolling her eyes as if everyone should all ready know this. "And an address where to send the bills to. It's possible the address is different from the one where you guys went. A lot of people have more than one house and they will often hire people to get their second house ready."

"That's a good idea," said Nick. "Do you think you could get them to give you the address they have on file? Most of those places don't like to give out personal information on their clients."

"Oh, I might be able to get it," said Cordelia. "Assuming my friend still works there. I have a friend who used to do a lot of the booking for them. She was like me. An actress waiting for her big break. We got to know each other pretty well. If she's still there I'm sure I can talk her into giving me the address."

"Get on it," said Angel. "We have to find Daphne as soon as possible. Every minute we waste gets her that much closer to Tannara."

"Be back in a jiffy," said Cordelia, heading to Angels' office to call her friend.

"What if she can't get the address?" Wesley asked. "What do you plan to do then?"

"We'll have to warn Tannara about Daphne," said Angel. "I think he was like us. He didn't think she'd be that big of a problem. We have to let him know she's a lot more powerful than we originally thought."

"Which means he'll need more than the ordinary vampires he has with him now," said Nick. "It might be a good idea to take up residence at his house for a few days. So that we'll be there when she attacks. We've fought her before. We'll be better prepared for her than the others will."

"Will he let you do that?" Wesley asked. "Your being a Stryx and all. I would think he wouldn't be too overjoyed at having a Stryx living in the same house with him."

"He might if he knows how dangerous she is," said Angel, "and that Nick and I probably have the best chance of stopping her. Besides, he knows Nick is here to help. Apparently LaCroix told him all about Nick so I don't think it should be much of a problem."

"Yes, he does, doesn't he?" Nick said thoughtfully.

"Okay, I got the information, but I don't think you're going to like it," said Cordelia coming back into the room.

"Like what?" Angel asked.

"Well, my friend still worked there," said Cordelia. "Apparently she hasn't had any more luck finding acting jobs than I've had. Anyway, she said the workers were paid with a company credit card from some company called Tidewater Industries."

"Tidewater?" questioned Wesley. "I've never heard of it."

"Some kind of moving company or other," said Cordelia. "But that's not the bad news. Tidewater is a subsidiary of a much larger corporation."

"Which corporation?" Angel asked, getting a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Wolfram and Hart," said Cordelia.

"Wolfram and Hart?" questioned Nick. "Isn't that the corporation you told me about? The one with all the demonic activity?"

"Yes, it is," said Angel.


	14. Chapter 14

FOURTEEN

"This doesn't make any sense," said Gunn. "Why would Wolfram and Hart be involved in a vampire dispute?"

"From what we know of them, they wouldn't," said Wesley. "And even if they were they would know that violating the Mustadi Covenant would cause even them more trouble than it's worth."

"Here's the information you wanted," Cordelia said, coming back into the room. "It was pretty easy to find. Tidewater Industries is a locally traded commodity and all the relevant information was listed on their website. Although I'm not sure what good it will do."

"You never know," said Angel, looking over the papers she had handed him.

When Angel discovered that Wolfram and Hart were connected to the Dhampir he had asked Cordelia to see what she could find out about the company. Even though he was familiar with a computer, he still found them a bit intimidating. She was much more comfortable with them than even Wesley was. It was, he decided, probably because unlike most of the rest of them, she had grown up in a culture where computers were commonplace and not a recent invention.

"It looks like any ordinary company," said Angel, handing the papers to Wesley after he had scanned them. "There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about them. Maybe Daphne has some connection to it."

"That's hardly likely," said Nick. "She would be considered a Stryx Dhampir. It's not very likely she would hold any interest in a company in Vetala territory."

"Angel," said Wesley, in his "this seems confusing" tone of voice, "didn't you say that this Tannara lives on Ocean Avenue?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Look at one of the members of the board of directors of Tidewater. His name is Stephen Gripple. And his address is listed as Ocean Avenue."

"That seems more than coincidental to me," said Gunn, looking at the address over Wesley's shoulder. "And the number of the house is right near Santa Monica Boulevard."

"Well, now, that's interesting," said Nick. "It would appear that someone with Tidewater Industries is paying for Daphne's stay here in Los Angeles. But why would someone in Vetala territory be helping a Stryx? I can't believe a vampire would be involved with it. We all know how high the stakes are. And if he's human, he must know that it's just as dangerous for him. Once the wars began he'd be seen as a source of food for either side."

"You think this Daphne has someone from the other side helping her?" Gunn asked.

"LaCroix didn't mention it," said Nick. "And I hardly think that's something he'd neglect to tell me."

"You did say he could be subjectively honest," said Angel.

"Yes," said Nick. "But why send me here to stop her and not tell me about any confederates she might be working with?"

"Maybe LaCroix doesn't know she's getting inside help?" suggested Cordelia.

"That's unlikely," said Nick. "LaCroix has a way of knowing things no one else knows. If he knows about Daphne I'm sure he'd know about anyone she's working with."

"Well, this still doesn't get us any closer to finding her," said Nick. "From the looks of this company they have buildings all over the city. It would take too long to search them all."

"Maybe we don't have to," said Nick. "If I were going to kill an elder and start a war, I'd want some place near my target so I could keep an eye on them. Learn their movements and any security they might have."

"That's not a bad idea," said Angel. He quickly scanned the pages again. "According to this Tidewater has an office very near Tannara's house. The next nearest one is about 3 miles away. That would be too far away for someone to keep watch on the house."

"You think Daphne is staying at that business?" Wesley asked.

"It's possible," said Angel. "We'll need to check it out as soon as it gets dark. Even if she isn't there at least we'll be near Tannara in case she attacks."

"Gunn and I can check it out now," said Wesley. "We don't have to worry about the sun."

"And if she is there and she spots you she might run," said Nick. "It's too risky."

"Not for me," said Cordelia. "This Daphne doesn't know me. I could go check it out and see if she's there."

"No," said Angel. "Nick and I are barely a match for her. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Only if she suspected who I was," said Cordelia. "I can go there and pretend to be checking into having some things moved. As far as she would know I'd just be another customer. Assuming she's even there at all."

"She does have a point," said Wesley. "Daphne has never seen her."

"Well," said Angel thoughtfully, "just be careful. Wesley, you and Gunn go with her. You can wait outside in case she gets into any trouble. But if there is any trouble you get out of there right away. Don't try going up against Daphne. She's much too powerful even for all three of you."

"I'm just going for some information," said Cordelia.

"Here," said Nick, tossing his car keys to Gunn, "take my car. She might recognize the van if she sees it. She's unlikely to recognize my car."

"Thanks," said Gunn, smiling. "Been a while since I drove a classic like that."

"Just be careful with it," said Nick. "I've had it a long time. I'd like to keep it a lot longer."

"No problem," said Gunn. "I'm a really safe driver."

"Since when?" Angel asked sarcastically as the three humans headed out the door. He looked at Nick and smiled. "I was just kidding. He's usually a pretty safe driver."

"I hope you're right," said Nick.

* * *

It was nearly dark when Cordelia and the others returned to the hotel.

"What did you find out?" Angel asked as they came in the door.

"The office was closed," said Gunn.

"From the looks of it, it's been closed for quite a long time," interjected Wesley. "The doors were locked and the windows had been boarded over. We were able to get inside, however, and checked it out. There was no sign that anyone had been in there for months."

"Well, so much for that lead," said Nick. "Any other ideas?"

"Not at the moment," said Angel, just as the phone rang. Cordelia went to answer it. "She has to be holed up somewhere. The problem is Los Angeles is a very big city. She could be just about anywhere. And our time is fast running out."

"Angel," said Cordelia, "it's Lorne. He says he has to speak to you right away."

"Yeah, Lorne, what is it?" Angel asked, taking the phone from Cordelia.

"You asked me to let you know if I heard anything," said Lorne.

"Yeah. Do you have something for me?"

"Well, I have a vampire who came into the club a few moments ago. It seems he had a run in with a Dhampir that nearly killed him. He says he was only barely able to get away from her. My club was the closest place so he came here to get out of the sun."

"Is he there now?" Angel asked.

"Sitting at one of my tables nursing a lot of cuts and bruises. He's all ready gone through a pint of blood and is asking for more."

"Keep him there," said Angel. "Nick and I will be there right away."

"I don't think he's going anywhere," said Lorne. "He's had the bejesus scared out of him and I think he's afraid to leave the club. Afraid that whoever attacked him might be outside waiting for him."

"We're on our way," said Angel. He put the phone down on its cradle.

"We might have a break," he said. "Come on. We have to get to Caritas right away. The rest of you wait here. We'll call you if we need you."

Together he and Nick headed out of the hotel just as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the distant buildings.


	15. Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

Nick and Angel entered Caritas and found that it was all ready packed. The sun had been down a while and as was the custom many demons had gathered for various reasons. As they entered the club Lorne was talking to his bartender. He noticed them enter and immediately went to them.

"I've got him at a table in the back," Lorne said. "When I suggested he might want to hang around he told me he had no intentions of leaving, at least for a while. He said he was afraid the Dhampir was waiting outside for him."

"Good," said Angel. "He's lucky to be alive. We tangled with her earlier and she's no normal Dhampir. Come on, Nick. Let's go talk to him."

They moved through the club where Lorne indicated. In the very back, partially obscured in the dark, was a lone figure sitting at a table. On the table in front of him was a bottle of blood and a glass. The bottle was nearly empty. As Angel and Nick walked up to the table the vampire looked up at him. He looked at Nick and a look of fear crossed his face.

"Keep him away from me," said the vampire. "Look, I'll leave the girl alone. Just don't let him near me."

"He's not here to hurt you," said Angel taking a seat next to the vampire. "Lorne said you told him you encountered a Dhampir earlier?"

"Yeah," said the vampire, looking suspiciously at Nick. "The sun had just set and I was out looking. When I came across her I realized what she was immediately. She was Stryx, just like him. I also realized she was a Dhampir."

"So you thought she'd be an easy target," said Nick.

"Sure, why not? She was Stryx. They aren't supposed to be in our territory. Plus she was Dhampir. I knew she wouldn't be a match for me. And no one was going to be upset about me killing a Stryx in our territory. But I was wrong."

"She was stronger than you expected," said Angel.

"A lot stronger. And fast. I've never seen anyone that fast before. I don't think I got in even a single punch. Every time I swung at her she just moved. Then she'd hit me back. And I gotta tell you, it hurt. It hurt bad. It didn't take me long to figure out I was way outclassed. So I ran. I came here 'cause I know there can't be any violence in here."

"Where did you encounter her?" Nick asked.

"Why should I tell you?" sneered the vampire. "I'm not in the habit of helping no Stryx."

"Then tell me," said Angel. "I don't know if you know it or not but that Dhampir is here to break the covenant. If she does that the vampire wars are going to start all over again. We'll be exposed to the mortals and then they'll hunt us down. We're here to stop her. But we need to know where you fought her at."

"About three blocks from her. Some rundown old building on Palm Street. I don't know what it used to be. Sometimes homeless people holed up there at night. It can be an easy meal as long as you aren't too careless."

"I know the place," Angel said to Nick. "It was a good place to hunt vampires when I first got to Los Angeles. There's a basement there that would be a perfect place for Daphne to hide. It's not easily accessible."

"You think she might still be there?" Nick asked.

"Not if she's smart," said Angel. "But we might find something useful there." He turned back to the vampire at the table. "Stay here the rest of the night. We'll take care of this Dhampir."

"Don't worry," said the vampire. "I have no wish to tangle with that she-devil again. I'm going to stay right here until I'm sure she's gone."

Nick and Angel left the club and headed for the abandoned building. They didn't take Nick's car. If Daphne was still there the sound of his car approaching might warn her. Of course, she had all ready shown she could sense them just as any vampire could sense their own kind. They had to hope there were enough vampires in the area to mask their approach to the building.

It was just as the vampire had told them. It had obviously been deserted for a very long time. Even the street lights did little to shed light inside the building. At the moment it appeared to be deserted. Nick followed Angel into the building and they silently made their way to the entrance to the basement. It was concealed behind a pile of debris that had been created when part of the ceiling had collapsed.

"We should be able to get to the basement this way," said Angel. "I never really checked this place out too closely. I usually waited for the vampires outside. It was easy to sneak up on them while they were looking for a night's feeding."

"That's going to make a lot of noise when we move it," said Nick. "I guess it can't be helped. Besides, I think we have to go on the assumption that she may have all ready sensed us if she is still here."

"Oh, I'm still here, all right. Actually, you're earlier than I expected. It's a good thing I was all ready here waiting for you."

The two vampires turned to see Daphne standing in the doorway to the room they were currently in. She stood facing them showing no fear. Instinctively the two moved several steps apart to give them a better fighting position.

"It wasn't very smart for you to hang around here," said Angel. "I'm surprised you stayed after trying to kill another vampire here."

"If I had wanted to kill him, he'd be dead," said Daphne. "Since I didn't know who the two of you were I had no way to find you. But I figured that if a Dhampir bested a vampire the word would spread pretty quickly. And I had no doubt the two of you would eventually show up here. But as I said, I hadn't expected you to show up so quickly. I figured it would take longer for the word to get around."

"You lured us here?" Nick questioned. "Why?"

"I was curious," said Daphne. "Why would a Stryx and a Vetala join forces? There was little time for chatting earlier. And I know that you both are aware of what could happen if a Stryx enters Los Angeles. You as much as told me so at our last meeting. But you also said you were there to stop me. So I got curious. Why would you come here to stop me knowing that even your presence might precipitate what you claim you want to prevent? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"I have permission from the Vetala elder to be here," said Nick. "In order to stop you from killing him and starting the war."

"Is that what you think I'm here for?" Daphne questioned. "To start the vampire wars all over again?"

"Why else would you go after the Vetala elder?" Angel questioned. "The vampire who sired you was Stryx. The only reason you would want to kill a Vetala elder is to start the wars all over again."

"Well, that is certainly one reason. Only not the only one. There is another reason."

"And what might that be?" Nick asked. "If you aren't here to start the vampire wars all over again why go after a Vetala elder?"

"To draw out the person I'm really after," said Daphne. "The vampire that sired me. I've been after him for a long time. But he's always one step ahead of me. No matter what I did I couldn't seem to catch up to him. So I decided on the one course of action I was certain would draw him out. By going after the Vetala elder I risk starting the vampire wars all over again, as you said. But I was certain that once word of it got out he'd come to stop me. I never imagined he'd send someone else in his place."

"So you don't want to start the wars again?" Angel asked.

"Not unless I have to," said Daphne. "Oh, I'm more than willing to kill the Vetala elder if it comes to that. But I really have no interest in him or any other vampire. The only one I'm interested in is the one who sired me. The one who made me what I am."

"She's like me," Nick said to Angel. "She hates what she is. Only she wants to punish the vampire that made her."

"Like you?" questioned Daphne. "You're a full vampire. We're nothing alike."

"We're more alike than you think," said Nick. "It's one of the reasons I was chosen to come stop you. I've been a vampire for a long time. But I've decided that's not who I am anymore. Like you, I hate what I am and I'm looking for a way to become human again."

"What's your name?" Daphne asked suspiciously.

"Nick," said Nick. "Nick Knight."

"Nicholas de Brabant," Daphne said in nearly a whisper. "So he sent you in his place. I should have realized it."

"Do I know you?" Nick asked. "Have we met before? I don't remember meeting you before."

"We've never met," said Daphne. "But I do know about you. How after 800 years you turned your back on your master and have searched the ends of the Earth for some way to become human again. And you," she looked at Angel. "Who are you?"

"The name's Angel," said Angel.

"Angelus," said Daphne. "The Vetala with a soul. Now it makes perfect sense. You aren't so much worried about the vampire wars starting up again as you are the mortals who would be caught in the middle of it. And I thought you were just two lackeys sent to do your master's bidding."

"You seem to know a lot about us," said Angel.

"Well, Angelus is nearly a legend, even in Stryx circles," said Daphne. "If half of what I've heard is true you were sadistic even for a Vetala. You killed not just for survival. You killed because you enjoyed it."

"Something I'm not really proud of," said Angel. "But that was another person. That's not who I am anymore."

"I'm not exactly well known even among the Stryx," said Nick. "How is it you know so much about me?"

"I know all about you, Nicholas de Brabant," said Daphne, stepping up to the two vampires. She was barely a foot away from them. "He told me all about you. His one failure. His one mistake. And how he's vowed to bring you back into his family no matter how long it takes."

"You know LaCroix?" Nick asked.

"Oh, you could say that," said Daphne, holding up her right hand. On that hand was a ring with what looked to be some form of crest on it. "Recognize this?"

"That's LaCroix's family crest," Nick explained to Angel. "He kept it after he was turned. It's the same ring he gave me to show to Tannara."

"Yes," said Daphne. "I keep this one to remind me of my one mission in life. To punish the vampire that made me what I am. You see, Nicholas, unlike you, I have no hope of becoming human again. I was born this way. It's who I am down to the very genes in my body. The only hope I have is to destroy the vampire that created me."

"I don't understand," said Nick. "What does LaCroix have to do with the elder that fathered you?"

'Is that what he told you?" she laughed. "That my father was a Stryx elder? I suppose in one manner of speaking that's true. Just as Lucien De LaCroix is your father by virtue of the fact that he brought you across. What was it, 1228, I believe? Before that you were human. I never was. I was born a Dhampir."

She paused for a moment and looked directly at Nick.

"Haven't you figured it out by now? The vampire that turned you and the vampire that sired me are the same. Lucien De LaCroix. He is both our fathers in a very real sense. Which means that would make you my brother."

Nick just stared at the Dhampir in total disbelief.


	16. Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Wesley, Gunn, and Cordelia were none too happy to have the Dhampir at the hotel with them. After her startling revelation to Nick and Angel, they all agreed it was best if they found someplace a little more private to talk. They had returned to the hotel where they were sure they wouldn't be disturbed.

"I don't understand," said Nick. "I never knew LaCroix was capable of fathering children. I know it can occasionally happen with a Stryx but he's never mentioned he was able to."

"As far as I know, he can't," said Daphne. "At least, not in the traditional sense. As I said, he's your 'father' by virtue of the fact that he turned you. Just as any vampire is the 'child' of the vampire that turned them."

"Okay," said Cordelia, "so if he didn't father you in the normal way, what did he do? Turn you into a vampire like he did with Nick?"

"No," said Daphne. "As I said, I was born this way. I was never human so I didn't need to be turned."

"Are you saying that this LaCroix isn't your biological father?" Gunn asked.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," said Daphne.

"You're not making any sense," said Wesley. "If LaCroix isn't your biological father, then he had to have turned you. There just isn't any other explanation."

"There's one," said Daphne. "I was an experiment. Something he created for his own curiosity and his own amusement."

"That sounds like LaCroix," said Nick. "It wouldn't be the first time he's experimented for the pure thrill of it. But it still doesn't explain how you could be born this way if he isn't your biological father."

"My parents were simple people," said Daphne. "They wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Then LaCroix showed up. They lived on a farm and it was very isolated. He killed my father immediately. Drained him dry while my mother watched. She was pregnant with me at the time and the shock of it sent her into premature labor. I guess that's when he got the idea. What would happen if you turned someone who then subsequently gave birth? What would the child be? Human or vampire?"

"Normally that isn't possible," said Angel. "If you turn a pregnant woman the fetus will automatically abort. The woman isn't human any longer and can't sustain the life growing inside of her."

"Unless she's in labor when she's turned," said Daphne. "That's what he did with my mother. Waited until she went into labor and then turned her. Or at least he tried to. Between the blood loss and giving birth she didn't survive. She died at almost the very instant I was born.

"Only it appeared that there had been no effect. I appeared to be fully human. There was no indication I had any vampire characteristics. So instead of killing me he just left. Left me there to die. Fortunately some neighbors stopped by and found me. They took me in and raised me as their own.

"When I was about twelve and entered puberty my vampire characteristic surfaced. I had no idea what was going on. Eventually I found a vampire who recognized me for what I was. He took me in and taught me all about my father's kind. About vampires."

"So how do you know it was LaCroix that did this?" Nick asked. "He left when you were just an infant. How could you know it was him and not another vampire?"

"The vampire that took me in discovered that at the time of my birth there was only one Stryx elder in the area. An elder that traveled instead of being in a particular area. So I went searching for him. I eventually found him. And when I did he bragged about what he had done. That's when I realized I meant no more to him than some castoff he had no use for. He remembered it. Even considered it as a failure, much like he considered you a failure. The one of his children that had betrayed him and turned your back on him."

"That's terrible," said Cordelia. "He creates you and then just throws you aside like some old shirt?"

"LaCroix has no use for anyone but LaCroix," said Nick. "Everything he does is for his own amusement and pleasure. And he has no qualms about discarding or even killing people he has no further use for. I'm surprised he didn't kill you then."

"He tried," said Daphne. "That's when we both realized I was no ordinary Dhampir. I never realized just how powerful I was until we fought. That's when I got this." She held up the ring she wore. "It didn't take much for me to discover what it was or who it belonged to. We fought to a standstill that day. Or rather I should say, that night. Before the sun could come up he fled. But I had been hurt and wasn't able to follow him. I've been tracking him ever since."

"To kill him," said Angel.

"Yes," said Daphne. "To make him pay for what he did to me. If not for him I would have lived and died as any other mortal oblivious to the existence of vampires. Now I have to live with the fact that I will never truly fit into either. Vampires don't consider me a true vampire and humans would never accept me out of fear and loathing."

"And then what?" asked Wesley. "After you've killed him, what will you do then?"

"Settle down somewhere," said Daphne. "Try to live as normal a life as I can. I have no idea how long I'll live. I've all ready lived longer than most humans. Maybe I'm immortal like a vampire. Or maybe I just age slower than humans because of my vampire heritage. But I know I'm not one of them. And that he has to pay for what he did to me."

"How old are you?" Cordelia asked.

"A little over a hundred," said Daphne. "I know, I look a lot younger."

"More than that," said Nick. "LaCroix told me you were only about 20. And as a rule Dhampirs aren't immortal. They live much longer than mortals but they do age. It's the human half that prevents you from being immortal."

"All I know is that he has to pay for what he did," said Daphne. "I don't care if he is an elder he can't play God with people's lives and expect there to be no repercussions."

"That's exactly what he thinks," said Nick. "He considers vampires to be superior to humans. That they're nothing more than our food. And he's never made any apologies for what he is or what he does."

"Well, now that you know the truth you know there's no reason to stop me," said Daphne. "I'm only going after the Vetala elder to draw LaCroix out. Once I've done that I'll leave Los Angeles and they'll never see me again."

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that," said Angel. "You've all ready told us that you're willing to kill the elder to accomplish your goal. We can't let that happen. Not even for your vengeance. There's too much at stake."

"Besides," said Nick, "there's no guarantee that LaCroix will show up. He sent me in his place. If you're as evenly matched for him as you say, I doubt he'll risk another encounter. LaCroix is no coward but he's also no fool. And I'm not even sure what it would take to kill him. I thought I had once but he showed up again later. He's an elder. He knows things that the rest of us don't."

"I can't just walk away," said Daphne. "I've tracked him too long and too hard to just give up."

"No one is saying you should give up," said Angel. "And I have no love for other vampires but I can't let you kill an elder and start a war that could end up destroying us all. All we're saying is you have to give up your plan to go after the elder. You'll have to find some other way to get to LaCroix."

"I must admit I have no desire to kill either of you," said Daphne. "And what you say makes sense. If my plan was going to draw him out he probably wouldn't have sent you in his stead. Which means that going after the elder would probably be a waste of time now."

"By the way," said Nick, "what about the workers you hired from the temp agency? What did you do with them?"

"What workers?" Daphne asked.

"According to our information you hired several temp workers for the house you were staying in," said Angel. "It's the reason we went there. To make sure you didn't hurt them."

"I never hired any temp workers," said Daphne. "I didn't have any need for them. I had planned to go after the Elder tonight but when you showed up that kind of put a crimp in my plans."

"But according to the temp agency you called and asked for five workers to come out to the house," said Cordelia. "You apparently used a company credit card from a place called Tidewater Industries."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Daphne. "And I never heard of this Tidewater Industries. I didn't contact anyone because I didn't want even the slightest chance of news about me being in Los Angeles to get out. That's why I was so surprised when you showed up at the house."

"Whose house is that anyway?" Wesley asked. "And why did you stay there?"

"I have no idea whose house it is," said Daphne. "I checked with a local real estate dealer and they told me it was on the market so I thought it would be a good place to wait until I went after the elder. I certainly wouldn't have called for any workers who might realize it wasn't my house."

"So who called the temp agency and ordered the workers?" Nick asked.

"That's a good question," said Angel. "But Wolfram and Hart are involved, you can bet on that. They own Tidewater Industries for one thing. And I'll bet you dollars to donuts they own the house as well. They have their fingers in just about every pie you can name. Especially here in Los Angeles."

"Well, I don't know who this Wolfram and Hart is but I can assure you I didn't call anyone about any workers," said Daphne. "It would have been too dangerous."

"Which means," said Angel, "that someone besides us knew you were in town. And they had to have known you were staying at that house."

"We were lured there," said Wesley. "They called the agency to hire the workers knowing we'd check into it. And once we found out she was there they knew we'd go after her just as we did."

"So the question is," said Angel, "who knew she was there and why did they lure us to the house? Did they figure we'd kill her or that we'd die in the attempt?"

"Those are good questions," said Nick. "I for one would like to know the answers to them. And I think I have a pretty good idea where to start. We need to go back and see Tannara."

"You think he's involved?" Angel asked.

"My gut says he is," said Nick. "I realized something earlier. You mentioned that he knew about me. He even knew my name. The name I go by now. Knight."

"So?" Angel questioned. "As I recall he said that LaCroix told him about you."

"Yes, he did," said Nick. "And at the time I didn't think it was strange. But he also said he hadn't seen LaCroix in over 60 years."

"What's so strange about that?" Gunn asked. "Maybe he told him about you the last time they spoke."

"Except that when we move on, we usually pick a new name," said Nick. "One that helps us fit in with whatever area we settle in. I didn't go by Knight until I went to Toronto about 10 years ago. And I didn't pick that name until I had been there a while and eventually got on the police force there."

"So if Tannara hadn't seen LaCroix in over 60 years," said Angel, "how did he know you were the same Nicholas de Brabant LaCroix told him about?"

"Exactly," said Nick. "Which means that he must have spoken to LaCroix sometime within the last 10 years and not 60 years ago as he claimed. But why lie about it?"

"I think you're right, Nick," said Angel. "I think it's time we went back and had a little chat with Tannara. It's time we find out what this is all about."

"Well, if Tannara is anything like LaCroix then I'm willing to bet he's just as devious," said Nick. "I doubt if he's going to be willing to just blurt out what's going on. Even if he does, all he has to do it put out the word that I'm here but not under his protection. That's going to complicate matters a great deal, not just for me but for everyone."

"He has a point, Angel," said Wesley. "If this Tannara sends enough vampires after the two of you it is conceivable that one – or both – of you could be killed."

"What we need is some leverage," said Nick. "Something that we can use to our advantage. And I think I have something that fits the bill nicely in my car."


	17. Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

Nick and Angel entered Tannara's house just after dark. The same vampire that had let them in before was there to let them in this time. And just as before the same two vampire "guards" stood in the living room waiting for any sign of aggression from the two.

"We need to see Tannara again," said Angel. "We have an update for him on the Dhampir."

"You can tell me," said the vampire. "I'll be sure he gets information."

"I don't think so," said Angel. "I'm not in the habit of answering to subordinates. We'll talk to Tannara."

"He's occupied at the moment," said the vampire. "I'm not sure how long he'll be tied up. It could be quite a while."

"Well, I suggest you interrupt him," said Angel forcefully. "He'll want to hear what we have to say and I wouldn't want to be you when he finds out you didn't let us in to see him."

The vampire didn't say a word. He simply turned and went into the same room he had before. Nick and Angel glanced at the two vampire guards. Both appeared to be young for vampires.

"Someone else is here," Nick whispered to Angel. "I can sense them."

"So can I," said Angel. "Who do you think it might be?"

"I have an idea or two," said Nick. "We'd better be on our toes. This could get dangerous very quickly."

The vampire was in the room longer than he had been before. When he came out of the room he moved directly to Nick and Angel.

"He'll see you now," said the vampire.

Nick and Angel moved past the vampire to the room beyond. As they entered Tannara was standing at the window looking out onto the yard beyond. He was holding his obligatory glass of blood. As the two entered he spoke without turning to them.

"Gilbert tells me you have news of the Dhampir. Can I assume you've dispatched her as we discussed?"

"You can assume whatever you want," said Angel. "Of course, assumptions are usually wrong. And yours would be, too."

"I see," said Tannara. "I'm quite displeased at this news. I send you to do a simple task like killing a Dhampir and you can't even accomplish that. Lucien told me you were much more efficient than that, Knight. I can see he was mistaken about you. And with Angelus's reputation I expected so much more from you, Angel. Perhaps your reputation isn't deserved."

"It's deserved, all right," said Angel. "But the situation has changed. And I'm sure LaCroix was right about Nick, too. He's everything we were led to believe. More, even."

"So, what is this news you have for me?" Tannara asked. "Gilbert said that you insisted it was very important."

"It is," said Nick. "The Dhampir isn't after you. She's after LaCroix. She felt that by coming after you it would draw him out. We're pretty sure we've convinced her to leave you alone. She doesn't want to start a war any more than we do. So she's going to figure out some other way to get to LaCroix."

"Well, that is good news," said Tannara. His tone indicated that he wasn't altogether pleased with the news. "I suppose it won't be necessary to keep the extra protection on hand then."

"There's just one thing," said Nick. "How long have you and LaCroix been working together?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," said Tannara, turning to face them. "As I told you, I haven't seen Lucien in more than 60 years."

"Which is a lie," said Angel. "You knew Nick's name. A name he didn't take until about 10 years ago. Which means you must have spoken to LaCroix since then."

"Besides," said Nick, "the last time we were here you didn't contact LaCroix to see if what we had told you were true. Considering the animosity that exists between Stryx and Vetala that was very odd. Unless you all ready knew what we told you were true. Which means you must have spoken to LaCroix recently."

"A small oversight on my part, it seems," said Tannara. "Perhaps I should have gone through the charade of contacting him to prevent you from becoming suspicious. I will have to remember that in the future."

"So, what was your plan?" Nick asked. "Did you really want Daphne killed or was there some other plan you had in mind? There was some ulterior motive, wasn't there LaCroix?"

Suddenly a side door to the room opened and LaCroix strode in as if he belonged there. He walked over to Nick and Angel and smiled that smile of his that was both reassuring and disconcerting at the same time.

"Ah, Nicholas, you always were much smarter than I gave you credit for," said LaCroix. "I should have known you'd eventually figure out the ruse."

"I told you this was risky," said Tannara. "We should have dealt with the Dhampir ourselves."

"You were quite eager to be involved as I recall," said LaCroix. "It's too late for recriminations now, my old friend."

"So, what was your plan?" Angel asked. "Did you really want us to kill the Dhampir for you?"

"That was my plan," said LaCroix. "I must admit that having her trail me wherever I went was getting quite tedious. Much like my ability to find Nicholas wherever he went she was able to find me no matter where I moved to. I now feel a bit as you do Nicholas every time I showed up where you had relocated."

"That couldn't have been his objective," said Nick, looking at Tannara. "Until she decided to come after you it wouldn't have mattered to you how much trouble she was causing LaCroix."

"Of course not," said Tannara, looking at Angel. "It was him."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked.

"The Vetala with a soul," Tannara spat out. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me? How many of my vampires you've killed since coming to Los Angeles? The plans you've interrupted with your incessant interference? And now with this vendetta of yours against Wolfram and Hart you've become an even bigger thorn in my side."

"Wolfram and Hart?" questioned Nick. "You're the ones who hired the temp workers to lure us to that house."

"Of course it was us," said Tannara. "We couldn't very well sit around waiting for you to find the Dhampir on your own. It might have taken much too long for you to find her. Since I knew about her the moment she entered Los Angeles I knew where she was. It was necessary to steer you in the right direction."

"Where are they?" Angel demanded. "What have you done with the workers?"

"Do you really need to ask that question?" Tannara asked. "They were a means to an end. Nothing more. Since they served their purpose there was no need to keep them around."

"You killed them," Nick said, anger in his voice.

"Honestly, Nicholas," said LaCroix, "you never used to be so squeamish about such things. I can remember a time when you dealt with obstacles in the same way. Long before your misguided attempt to regain your mortality. Surely you aren't surprised that we didn't leave any loose ends lying around."

"There wasn't any need to kill them," said Nick. "You could have made them forget."

"It wasn't his call," said Tannara. "Lucien's part of the plan was to draw the Dhampir to Los Angeles. When he told me of the half vampire stalking him I knew it was the perfect opportunity to rid myself of Angel. So he lured her to Los Angeles and it was my job to put you on her trail. We figured that either she or one or both of you would have been killed when you encountered her. Now, it seems, all of our planning has gone for naught."

"She's not after you anymore," said Angel. "So you don't have to worry about that."

"Oh, I was never worried about that," said Tannara. "With Lucien here we're quite sure we can handle her. She may be a match for one elder but she wouldn't be a match for two of us. If she should somehow make it to the house it would be a simple matter for us to deal with her ourselves."

"So why not just deal with her yourself?" Nick asked. "Why this whole charade and involve us in it?"

"You must know by now, Nicholas, that it's difficult for me to kill one of my own children," said LaCroix. "Otherwise I would have tired of you long ago. She was family, after all. How would it look if I killed one of my own?"

"You'd have to admit you made another mistake," said Nick. "Like you made with me. And I do know you detest admitting you make mistakes. You consider it a sign of weakness."

"Yes, there is that, isn't there?" LaCroix questioned.

"Enough," said Tannara. "Since you obviously have no intentions of killing the Dhampir for us it appears we shall have to do it ourselves. But first there's the matter of the Stryx in Vetala territory to deal with. And no ordinary Stryx. A Stryx patriarch. A clear violation of the covenant. I'm afraid, Mr. Knight, that your presence here has put the covenant in danger. The only way to ensure that the covenant remains intact is for you to pay for your transgression. And this Vetala must pay for his collusion with you. Otherwise the others may feel the covenant has been violated and the wars would begin anew."

"I came here at LaCroix's insistence," said Nick. "To protect you. And Angel was helping me protect you. Surely that's enough to protect the covenant."

"Assuming that ever becomes known," said Tannara, smiling. "As far as anyone knows you're just a Stryx in Vetala territory."

"You never put out the word that he was under your protection," said Angel.

"Of course not," said Tannara. "I'm not that much of a fool."

"What about him?" Angel asked, looking at LaCroix. "He's Stryx. His presence here violates the covenant as well."

"Unless I'm here at the invitation of the Vetala elder," said LaCroix. "Which I am."

"You'd just let him kill me?" Nick asked. "After all the decades you've spent trying to bring me back?"

"You're in Vetala territory," said LaCroix. "I'm afraid it's out of my hands. I can only protect you so far, Nicholas."

"Then why send me here in the first place?" Nick asked. "Knowing my presence would violate the covenant?"

"I thought you and Angel would kill the Dhampir without hesitation," said LaCroix. "If you had your presence here would have been forgiven. You would have saved a Vetala elder and protected the covenant. That would have been enough to allow everyone to overlook your indiscretion.

"But you failed to kill the Dhampir. And since she is no longer after Tannara there can be no explanation for your presence here that would suffice. And, I'm afraid, too many Vetala have seen you here to hide your involvement. There's simply nothing I can do to protect you, Nicholas. I will miss you."

"You don't think we're just going to stand here and let you kill us, do you?" Angel questioned.

"You really don't have much of a choice," said Tannara, changing to his vampire visage. "I'm an elder. Even together the two of you are no threat to me. Besides, the vampires in the outer room are enforcer vampires. More powerful than your average vampire. It would take an elder to be a match for them. Now, Lucien probably won't assist in the destruction of his pupil, but he won't interfere so that the covenant remains intact. But the two of you have very little chance of getting out of here alive.

"Oh, I have no doubt you'll fight. From what I've heard about both of you neither is about to go quietly. But in the end there can only be one outcome. You'll both be dead and the covenant will be protect. And I will never have to worry about your meddling again."

Tannara put down his glass of blood and moved toward the two younger vampires. Nick and Angel neither one had any delusions. Nick had defeated LaCroix once before but that, he knew, was pure luck. Under ordinary circumstances he knew he would never be able to beat an elder. And even with Angel's help beating an Elder was going to be difficult, if it was even possible. Throw in the enforcer vampires outside and their chances weren't very good. And he could tell that Angel was thinking the same thing.

Suddenly the door to the room exploded open and Gilbert came flying into the room. He landed on his back on the floor and the four vampires saw what appeared to be a table leg sticking out of his chest. He squirmed in agony on the floor for a moment and then exploded into a pile of dust.

"I'm afraid I may have broken one of your tables in the entryway. Oh, and your friends outside? I'm afraid they won't be joining us. Ever."

They all looked up to see Daphne standing in the doorway to the room. She was holding another table leg in her hand that had obviously been broken off of the table. The jagged end of the leg was a danger to any of the vampires in the room. And as they all knew, she had the powers of an elder. Something that even LaCroix and Tannara would have trouble defending against.


	18. Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN

"You were supposed to wait in the car," said Angel. "We told you we'd handle this."

"When I'm so close to accomplishing my goal," said Daphne, glaring at LaCroix. "I don't think so."

"Well, Daphne," said LaCroix. "It seems you save us the trouble of having to come look for you. Now we can finish this unpleasant business once and for all."

"Forgetting what happened the last time we met, aren't you 'father'?" questioned Daphne. "As I recall you barely escaped with your life. I imagine your injuries took some time to heal even considering you're an elder."

"Yes," said LaCroix. "I must admit I underestimated you. That's not something I'll do again. And this time I'm not alone. I doubt even you can stand against two elders."

"She's not exactly alone," said Nick.

"I doubt you'll be much of a problem," said Tannara. "Oh, the Dhampir may have disposed of those in the outer room. But do you honestly think those were the only guards I have here? I can assure you that there are enough enforcers here to deal with even the two of you. And with the Dhampir here it seems we'll be able to conclude all of our business at one time. How convenient."

"Maybe not as convenient as you think," said Daphne. "LaCroix can tell you I'm not exactly a pushover. And even if I should die I'm more than willing to do that to accomplish my goal."

"Which is precisely what's going to happen," said LaCroix. "Honestly, you don't think that pathetic excuse for a stake is going to do you any good, do you? Nicholas can tell you such mundane implements are useless against an elder."

"He's right," said Nick. "I staked him once and he all but shrugged it off."

"Oh, this," said Daphne, dropping the broken table leg she was holding. "Actually, I hadn't planned to use this on you, LaCroix. But it would have worked against any lower level vampires that might have been in here with you." She reached behind her and pulled out a stake that had obviously been carefully constructed. "I'm well aware that no ordinary stake is capable of taking out an elder. Remember, I'm the offspring of an elder. I was very careful to learn everything I can about them."

"Another stake?" questioned Tannara. "Not much better than you little improvised one, I'm afraid. No matter how carefully constructed it may be it is still nothing more than a minor annoyance to either LaCroix or myself."

"Unless it was constructed from some very special wood," said Daphne. "Say, Olive wood, for instance. And not just any Olive wood either. This particular stake was made from an Olive tree reputed to be over 2,000 years old. Enough to kill even an elder."

The looks of shock on LaCroix and Tannara's faces did not go unnoticed by either Nick or Angel. They were looks of surprise. Surprise mixed with fear or concern.

"I don't understand," said Angel. "What difference does it make what kind of wood it's made out of? A stake is a stake."

"For most vampires, yes," said Daphne. "But elders are different. Vampires change as they age. Evolve, if you will. Now, most vampires are generally immortal. They don't suffer the effects of time as mortals do. Or as most Dhampirs do. But they do change. It's what makes them so powerful. And so dangerous.

"One of those changes involves an increased immunity to wood. That's one of the reasons that staking a vampire kills them. Most items, such as bullets, won't harm a vampire. But wood is different. It interrupts the body's regeneration ability. The massive damage done by a stake is too much for the body to compensate for, so the vampire dies."

"What does that have to do with the type of wood a stake is made from?" Nick asked.

"Wood also changes as it gets older," said Daphne. "Oh, probably nothing you'd be able to quantify in a lab. But it does undergo minute changes. Wood that's old enough can be used to kill even an elder. And since LaCroix is 2,000 years old this stake should be enough for even him. Throw in that it's made of Olive wood and all I need is to stake you once."

"Olive wood?" questioned Angel.

"According to legend," said Nick, "Olive wood is the traditional wood that stakes should be made from. It was once believed that it was the only wood that would kill a vampire but we all know that's just a myth. I do know that Olive wood is more potent against a vampire. A vampire can be killed if he's staked with a stake made from Olive wood even if you don't stake him in the heart. Stake him anywhere in the chest and it will kill him."

"So our little game of cat and mouse finally comes to an end," said Daphne. "I don't have to necessarily stake you in the heart. I just have to stake you. And my vengeance will be complete. You'll pay for what you did, not only to me but to my parents."

"You might find I'm not the easy prey you imagine me to be," said LaCroix.

"Not to mention you have not one elder to deal with but two," said Tannara. "I'll bet one of us can kill you long before you have a chance to use that stake of yours."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" questioned Angel. "You think we're just going to stand around and let you kill her?"

"Oh, you'll be much too busy dealing with your own problems," said Tannara. He pressed a button on his desk and six vampires entered the room. "The enforcers I mentioned. I had them brought in special when Lucien and I set this whole thing up. A safety precaution, you might say. It seems my foresight was justified. Six enforcers and two elders against the three of you. Not very good odds I'm afraid. And I doubt even the infamous Angelus can stand against so many at one time. This business will finally be concluded and all that anyone will know about it is that a Stryx and a Vetala conspired to together. It was necessary to kill them to maintain the peace of the covenant. I'm free of Angel, Lucien is free of you, and we won't have the Dhampir to worry about again. All in all a very profitable evening."

"You might find we're a bit more resourceful than you imagine," said Angel, every muscle in his body tensing for what was sure to be the fight of his life. Or rather his unlife.

"I seriously doubt it," said Tannara. He turned to one of the enforcers. "Shalek, dispose of these two, will you? LaCroix and I will deal with the Dhampir ourselves."

"I don't think so," said Shalek, near disgust in his voice.

"What do you mean you don't think so?" demanded Tannara. "That's what I brought you in for. Now, dispose of these two before I decide to dispose of you as well."

"That isn't going to happen," Shalek. He looked at Angel. "I have no love for the vampire with a soul. He has killed many of my friends." He looked at Nick. "And while it is true that Stryx and Vetala are enemies, I know you told him that he was here under your personal protection. And now I find out that this was all a ploy to draw them and the Dhampir here to kill them. You risk violating the Mustadi Covenant and starting the wars all over again for some petty vendetta? You may be an elder but not even you have the right to put all of our lives at risk for your own petty concerns."

"Insolent dog," snapped Tannara. "Your death will be a slow and painful one. Enforcer or not no vampire defies my orders and lives. I command here. All obey me."

"Not all," said a voice from the outer room."

Suddenly another vampire stepped into the room and stood next to Shalek. They all immediately recognized him as a Vetala vampire. Unlike the other vampires in the room this one had the wrinkled brow and yellow eyes that a Vetala vampire exhibited in their vampiric form. And he appeared to be considerably older than anyone else in the room.

"Really, Tannara, did you honestly think you could conspire with a Stryx elder and I wouldn't learn of it?" asked the vampire. "Shalek is right. You've endangered the covenant and put us all at risk. And that I simply cannot allow."

"Master," gasped Tannara, fear showing in his eyes.

Master. The one vampire in all the world that even an elder vampire feared. The one that commanded unquestioned loyalty from all vampires of the same breed.


	19. Chapter 19

NINETEEN

"So, this is the vaunted Angelus I've heard so much about," said the Master. "Strange. You don't look that imposing. Still, I know of your reputation. And even with a soul I understand you are still a match for most vampires. It's possible you could even hold your own with an elder."

"I'd give it my best shot," said Angel.

He remembered the Master that he had helped Buffy kill. That one had been trapped for 60 years and still it had cost Buffy her life to stop him. Angel had no doubts that this one would most likely be even more formidable than that one.

"It's been a long time since I had occasion to speak with a Stryx," said the master, glancing at Nick and LaCroix. He looked over at Daphne. "And a Dhampir. You have no idea how much you risk by coming here. If the covenant is violated the old ways would return. You're not old enough to remember them. I was there. I was the Vetala that helped negotiate the peace that now exists between our two kinds. And you risk starting it all over again for what? Some imagined wrong that this elder has done you?"

"It's not imagined," spat out Daphne. "He murdered my family and made me what I am. I had no choice. I'm an outcast in both worlds. And I have no interest in your kind. I want only LaCroix. Once I've dealt with him I'll leave and you'll never see me again."

"That is not an option at this point," said the Master. "Even now the Vetala in this city wait to see what I will do about the situation. Word of your presence here is spreading even now. A Stryx elder and patriarch enter our territory in clear violation of the covenant. That is a challenge that cannot go unanswered."

"I came here to protect the covenant," said Nick, glancing at LaCroix. "If I had known the whole truth. . . ."

"Do you think that matter?" the Master asked, his temper flaring. "The covenant states that neither shall enter the others territory uninvited for any reason. Tannara invited LaCroix here. You were not invited. Which means that just your presence jeopardizes the covenant. And you worked in concert with a Vetala. Most will look upon that at a betrayal of his own kind."

"I have a soul," said Angel. "They all ready look at me that way."

"You have a soul but it was not of your choosing," said the Master. "This you chose to do. This was a willing betrayal of all Vetala."

"Master, I," began Tannara.

"Be quiet," snapped the Master. "I know of your disdain for the vampire with a soul. You've mentioned it to me many times. But I never believed you would be so inept as to put all of our lives at risk in this way. I made you elder of this city because of your centuries of loyal service to me. And you repay me by betraying me."

"Let me have LaCroix," said Daphne, moving forward, the stake she was holding raised high. "I'll finish him and then you can do what you want with your elder."

The Master raised his hand and Daphne suddenly stopped moving. She dropped the stake she was holding and dropped to her knees, clutching at her throat as if unable to breath.

"Take care, Dhampir," said the Master. "I am no ordinary vampire, even for a master. I was old when the pyramids were nothing more than a future dream. For more than seven millennia I have walked this world. I was made by one of the first of our kind. I have outlived all those who have opposed me. And I will not brook some neophyte half breed challenging me."

The Master dropped his hand and Daphne suddenly began to gulp in air as fast as she could. She looked up at the Master with contempt in her eyes. It was quite clear that he was even more formidable than the two elders.

"Well," said LaCroix nonchalantly, "it would appear that our little charade has been exposed. Pity. I suppose I'll just have to find some other way to deal with my offspring."

"Not so fast, elder," said the master. "There's still the matter of your presence in our territory. I simply cannot allow you to leave. If word of it were to get out then it would be construed by the Stryx Master that the covenant has been violated. My only concern here is protecting the covenant. And there is only one way to insure that. Everyone involved in this sordid business must die. When it becomes known that I killed not only the Stryx that violated our territory but also the Vetala that conspired with them, I'm sure the Stryx Master will agree it is enough to preserve the covenant."

"You are forgetting one thing," said LaCroix. "I was invited here by a Vetala elder. Which means I have not violated the covenant. If you kill me, that will also be a clear violation of the covenant. You'll precipitate the very war you hope to avoid."

"Ah yes, the invitation," said the Master. "It's a shame that no one outside this room is aware of that invitation. And it will never leave this room. The enforcers are sworn to obey me even at the cost of their own lives. Once you have been dealt with I will simply say that you came here to settle an old score with the patriarch, thereby violating the covenant. Once you were here you conspired with Tannara to help you by helping him dispose of Angelus. It has the merits of being true. I'll simply leave out the part about the invitation. No one need ever know of it. The covenant will be preserved and I'll never have to be concerned with you trying something like this ever again."

"Actually, there are others who know about it," said Angel. "The people I work with are aware of the entire situation. If anything happens to us they'll make sure the entire story gets out to the right people."

"Oh, you mean the humans?" questioned the Master. "And what makes you think any vampire will take the word of a human over mine? They'll simply see it as an attempt to cause dissention in our ranks. And once we're finished here I'll make sure they are in no condition to tell anyone what they know. Without you there to protect them they should be easy prey."

"Don't underestimate them," said Angel. "They're a lot more resourceful than you think."

"Besides," said Nick, pulling a small medallion off his lapel, "it won't exactly be their word against yours."

The Master looked at the medallion. It was quite small; hardly noticeable. Neither he nor the two elders had even given it a second thought.

"What is that?" demanded the Master.

"Oh, just a little something I use in my work," said Nick. "Oh, I didn't tell you. I work as a private investigator in Sacramento. I've had occasion to use this in my work. The humans you disdain so much can be quite ingenious. Always coming up with some gadget or other to make things more entertaining or easier for them. Such as a miniaturized camera complete with microphone. And wireless t boot. This little baby can transmit for more than 5 miles. And despite its small size the reception is incredibly clear. Both audio and video."

"Well, Nicholas," said LaCroix, cracking a smile, "how perfectly devious of you. I would never have thought you had it in you."

"I learned from the best," said Nick. "While we've been chatting here Angel's co-workers have been recording the entire encounter. And he has a demon friend who will make sure that the right people get that recording."

"Well," said LaCroix, turning to the Master, "it would seem that you've had the tables turned on you, as the humans say. I wonder what the Stryx Master will say when he learns that one of his elders was invited here by a Vetala elder and then was betrayed and murdered by you? That would be a clear violation of the covenant. And precipitate the very war you hope to prevent."

"It changes nothing," said the Master. "Once we're finished here we'll simply locate your friends and deal with them. They'll never have the chance to deliver that recording."

"Yeah, except that by now the recording is on its way to the demon Nick mentioned," said Angel. "Assuming you can even find out which demon that is, it will take time. And by the time you do find out which one it is the recording will all ready have been delivered. He has instructions to deliver it within 1 hour. Assuming I don't contact him first and tell him everything is okay."

"You've placed me in a difficult position," said the Master, keeping his temper in check. "You presence is known here by other Vetala. If I don't do something to rectify the situation they're going to assume the covenant has been broken. And the war will start anyway."

"Not if you let us go," said Nick. "You can say that Daphne came here looking for the vampire who sired her. That she was unaware of the covenant. You simply asked that LaCroix and I come and escort her out of Vetala territory and explain to her how serious it is. I'm sure the Stryx Master will agree that such a minor infraction can be overlooked. And the covenant remains intact."

"No," snapped Daphne, glaring at LaCroix. "I've searched a long time for him. I'm not about to let him go now that I'm so close."

"I understand how you feel," said Nick. "But right now this isn't about your revenge. There's time for that later. Right now we have a chance to diffuse the situation so that no one has to die tonight. And no humans are put in danger. As much as I'd love to let you finish LaCroix it has to take a back seat to protecting the covenant. You can always hunt him down later."

"Besides," said Angel, "you're kind of outnumbered, honey. You may be tough but there's no way you can get through all of us. I suggest you just let it go for now."

Daphne glared at LaCroix but made no move toward him.

"I'll give you 24 hours to get out of Los Angeles," said the Master. "When the sun sets tomorrow I will expect all of you to leave here and never return. If you do I promise you that you will not live to see the sun rise again. What about the recording?"

"Once we're safely out of Los Angeles I'll destroy it," said Nick. "No one ever needs to know what really happened here. And I think I can speak for all of us that you'll never see us again."

The Master turned to Tannara.

"You," the Master hissed. "You have some explaining to do. And I'm quite sure I'm not going to like the explanation."

"I suggest we leave before he changes his mind," said LaCroix. He glanced at Daphne. "Considering the situation, I'll find my own way out."

Before any of them could speak LaCroix turned and disappeared from the room. With Daphne still fuming, Nick and Angel practically dragged her out of the house to Nick's car that was parked only a block down the road.

"I'll find LaCroix again," said Daphne. "It's only a matter of time. And when I do I'll finish what I started here."

"Just don't come back to Los Angeles," said Angel. "The Master is in not in the habit of making idle threats. And they'll be sure to be on the lookout for you now."

"Don't worry, Vetala," said Daphne. "Plans rarely work more than once. And since this one didn't exactly work out the way I had planned, I guess I'll have to come up with something else. You know, for a blood sucking demon, you're not such a back guy. Too bad you're from the wrong side of the tracks."

"And let's keep it that way," said Angel.

"Well, brother," said Daphne, turning to Nick, "it was nice to finally meet you. I've heard a great deal about you. Maybe I'll stop by for a visit one day. We can swap notes on LaCroix."

"Maybe you should come with us," said Nick. "Los Angeles isn't exactly the safest place, even for you."

"Oh, I can take care of myself," said Daphne. "Besides, I want to see if I can pick up LaCroix's trail before it's too old. Unlike him I don't have to worry about sunlight."

Daphne suddenly turned and disappeared into the darkness beyond. She moved so quickly that neither Nick nor Angel were able to follow her. Within moments she disappeared completely.

"You think she will?" Angel asked. "Pick up LaCroix's trail?"

"Not likely," said Nick. "He's too good and too experienced for that. But she may find him eventually. That's one tenacious Dhampir."

"True," said Nick, looking at the sky. "Well, we'd better get back to the hotel. The sun will be up soon."

As they drove back to the hotel Nick couldn't help but wonder just how alike he and Daphne were. Maybe one day he'd find out.


	20. Chapter 20

TWENTY

"So is it really over?" Cordelia asked when Nick and Angel returned to the hotel. "There's no chance of violating this covenant and causing a vampire war?"

"Apparently," said Angel. "Even Daphne agreed to leave Los Angeles and never return. I guess she's going to find some other way to kill LaCroix."

"Which she's going to find is harder to do than she imagines," said Nick. "LaCroix would be what's considered a third generation vampire. Sired by a vampire that was sired by one of the first vampires. He's much more powerful than even most elders. And even more arrogant."

"Well," said Wesley disappointedly, "it would appear that the prophecy about the Dark Slayer wasn't about Daphne. From what you've said she didn't have any unusual powers other than what most vampires have."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Wes," said Angel. "Your research helped. It did lead us to Daphne. But she wasn't really out to kill the Vetala elder. I guess we'll just have to file that prophecy away for a future date."

"What now?" Gunn asked. "Will this Master be sending his goons to take care of us?"

"I doubt it," said Angel. "He's got Tannara to deal with first. And all things considered I just don't think we're that important."

"I think there will probably be a new elder for Los Angeles soon," said Nick. "Masters aren't known for showing leniency toward those who betray them."

"I guess you'll be leaving Los Angeles now," said Cordelia. "Now that this whole mess is settled."

"Well, that's the prudent thing," said Nick. "The Master gave us until sundown tomorrow. Once the sun sets I'd better be on my way back to Sacramento or there's no telling what he'll do."

"And I suppose it goes without saying that you won't be back any time soon," said Wesley.

"Not as long as it's Vetala territory," said Angel. "Protecting the covenant is too important."

"Well, you know," said Nick thoughtfully, "there are areas that aren't either Stryx or Vetala territory. Mostly small towns and places where vampires can't easily blend in. Just because our types are hereditary enemies doesn't mean we have to be."

"You do have a point," said Angel. "Normally I don't get along very well with other vampires for obvious reasons. But you're obviously no ordinary vampire. You really think it's possible to regain your humanity again?"

"It's happened at least once that I know of," said Nick, thinking about Janette and Natalie. "And there are always rumors of other methods. I've come very close several times. I have to hope that one day I'll find a way to do it. In the mean time all I can do is try not to be like LaCroix. If I am able to finally regain my humanity then I'll be able to settle down and finally live a normal life like any other human."

"I'm not sure it is possible to return to being human," said Wesley. "To the best of my knowledge a vampire has never become human again in all the millennia they've existed."

"Well, as I said," said Nick, "I have seen it happen once before. I can only assume that means there must be other ways to do it. I just have to keep looking until I find one that works. I've come close a few times. So it's only a matter of time."

"Well," said Angel, looking out the window, "the sun will be up soon. Which means you won't be able to leave L.A. until sunset. I guess there's nothing else to do but wait until the sun goes down."

"Is that going to be okay?" Wes asked. "You did say the Master gave them until sunset tomorrow to get out of Los Angeles."

"Actually, he said we should leave by sunset," said Nick. "Which means as long as I'm on my way out of town once the sun sets I'll be okay. If I leave as soon as the sun goes down I should be out of Los Angeles long before the deadline is up."

"Come on," said Angel. "Let's go into my office and get something to drink. And you can tell me more about this LaCroix."

"I think I'll find something else to do," said Cordy. "They'll probably start talking about the differences in blood or something just as gross."

Wesley and Gunn just laughed as Nick and Angel headed to Angel's office.

The End

If you've enjoyed this story, you can find more stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.


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